The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-30

Except that in such cases as state laws
impose the duty of maintenance upon
civil subdivisions Of the state. these
must maintain the roads constructed.
Proper maintenance is construed to
mean the making Of needed repairs
and the preservation of a reasonably
smooth surface considering the type
Of the road. but is not held to include
extraordinary repairs or reconstruc-
ton. If at any time the secretary Of
agriculture shall find that any road
CONSTRUCTED under the provisions Of
the act Is not being properly main
tanned, he is directed to give notice
of the fact to the highway department
of the state. If within four months
from the receipt Of such notice the
road has not been put in proper con-
dition Of maintenance, LAe secretary
Of agriculture Is required to refuse
thereafter to approve any project for
road construction in the state, or civil
subdivision, as the case may be, whose
duty 1t is to maintain the road, until
| it has been put in condition of
proper maintenance. 1t Ii believed that
this provision Is a very Important one
and should from the outset prevent
the great waste of funds that has
sometimes been made in states
where highway departments have
been organized and funds expended in
the construction OF many miles of
roads with no adequate provision for
maintaining such roads.
The act also appropriates $1,000,00O
annually for ten years to be- expended
for the survey, construction and main
tenance Of roads and trails wholly or
partly within the national forests. In
order to receive federal aid on a high
way located in a national forest, q
state, territory, or county must make
orb 70
official and must enter into co-op-
erative agreement with the secretary
of agriculture for the survey, con-
struction, and maintenance of the de-
sired roads or trails, upon basis
equitable to both the state, territory,
or county, and the United States. And
the aggregate expenditures in any
state, territory or county must not
exceed 10 per cent of the value of
the timber and forest resources avail
able for income upon the national for
est lands within the respective coun-
ty or counties wherein the roads or
trails will be constructed.
1t may be interesting to note at this
time that the amount appropriated to
the state of North Dakota for the year
ending July /, 1917, is $76,143; for the
year ending July /, 1918. $152,2S6; for
the year ending July l, 1919, $22S.429;
for the year ending July l, 1920. $780,
572; and for the year ending July /,
1921, $3S0,715, a total of $1,142,145
These figures are approximate only
but when 1t is remembered that an
equal amount is to be appropriated
by the state it will be seen that dur
ing the next five years there will be
available for highway construc-
ton under the federal act, a
fund of over two and quarter mil
lion dollars; and while this amount
is not sufficient to complete a highway
system for the state of North Dakota
it should at least be the means Of
making very creditable progress in
that direction.
AS evidence on the part of the gov
eminent that it desires to cooperate
with the state highway departments,
the United States has been divided in
to ten districts and district engineer
of the office Of public roads has been
assigned to each. Therefore a rep
resentative of the government will be
readily available to take up personally
with the state officials all matters
pertaining to- the administration Of
this act, and in behalf of the district
engineers solicit for this cause the
cooperation and support OF every
person in the state of North Dakota
who is In any way interested in the
developments Of the state.