Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-20
FEUERAL ROAD ACT IS
3. AIDING STATE WORK
yer 100000 in First Year I.
Governments Allowance in
Co-Opcrativc Plan.
AGi5 TELLS HOW 1T WORKS
Who Directs Office of
Public Roads and Rural Engineer
, ing for Government, Discusses Ills
Work for Highway Retirement.

BY LOGAN WALLER PAGE.
81 director Once of Public Roads and
8 q, Rural Engineering. Department
M or Agriculture.
"a When President Wilson signed the
Federal aid road act on July II, 1915.
4 he rendered effective n measure unique
n the annals OF American legisla;icn n.
a ~ involved not merely tho granting Of
e financial assistance to the states in the
guiding OF their public roads: II went
= Htuch further and placed on trial 4 far
z fsach:ng policy OF co-operat ion between
81 She Federal government and each OF
the "forty-etTht States. 1t undertook
~ 70 lay down the conditions which
should govern the co-orcraticn. and it
specifically called for Affirmative lcGis-
ation by forty-cieht other legislative
q bodies than the Congress OF The United
81 States
# ", 1t placed the administration OF this
get In the hands OF forty-nine acc7cie.
comprising the Secretary OF Agriculture
OF the Caitcd states and the Highway
& department OF each of the States On
the one hand. therefore. we have the
Y Manifold difficulties incident 20 the adj
i anstment and smooth operation OF a
4 plan. which requires action by so many
dfferent agencies, and. on the other
hand. we have all the possibilities for
good incident 20 the powerful cumu,a-
( 1--we cTort which may thus be put forth
BY all OF the forces OF the ration work
: ing in unison.
& u The beneficent result OF the Federal
s etd Legislation are not 10 be measured
I merely in the miles of improved roads
quit with til" mid of Federal funds
would put that result az secondary. III,
most important has already been ac-
q epmpushed in the form OF IN immense
emourt OF constructive state lesisla-
7 ES1on,- establishing and strengthening
y STATE highway departments. providing
= skilled supervision. systematizin- roaI
york in the States. establishing main
: Senancc funds, and in many other WAYS
msurihg the efficient and economical
nandiing OF the nations road problems.
ELEVEN STATES WITHOUT
81 HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS
SIT was found that there were eleven
states which were without highway
departments in the sense conteunlo,cd
by the Federal act. and that the high
way departments OF five other States
S might be considered as inthc doubtful
class. Few OF the States were in posi-
tion when the act was passed 10 begin
immealate cooperation. The Lcsisla-
lures OF most OF them met la.:t winter
and itswas not until their adjournment
IN the tsprinE OF 1917 that the way had
been cleared sufficiently TO enable inLi-
II Nluualt projects TO be taken IN
As 10 tho post road requirements
varying interpretations Of the term,
rnralr post road" were current l..
/ was Claimed by some that il meant
"n'y those roads on which the mails
& Wer" actually carried; by others that il
'n"i'ni any road over which il was
nhySicaliy possible TO carry the mails.
We asked the Attorney General of tho
laitcd states To advise us as TO Tho
oiStohtty OF certain classes Of roads
nese ctass"a' were % where the
mails were actually carried over The
road; I(2) where The mai!; were no,
carried. but where there existed 4,
! reasonable prospect that the. would
oe carried within Il reasonable time
after the completion of the rood. ,2I
Whcrc Tthc proposed road was an en-
I. irc'Y new location, but thcrr cyistcd
reasonable prospect that mail would
De carried within II reasonable t;,no
( "itcr the completion OF the road; a.
mnerc mo part or parts OF n project
on winch omails were carried con
stltutcd an unsubstantial portion Of
- inc whole and il would he unccouomi
cal to- build the parts on which the
!nai* were carried without building
the other parts. even though No nrog
pect existed that these unsubs,nn,t,j
parts were ever 10 be used for carry
Inc the mails. The Altorncy-Geunr,I
decided that all roads in those fnur
classes were eligible post roads
uN~1liOiic llfll arose as TO whst
htitutcd e reasonable prospect and
an uHEubstartial part Of the yybo,,
MerelNeas guide and not rs n ruI, we
& HcFised that CD where tho unused nor
Ion era Prolsct!was cQmprisrd in Sow
I erai or a numhar 6. short sections cav.
: corning which no prospect OF thcir r.o
5 Ply mail routes existed, the nroioci
B rnisnt ne worthy of approval !f thcsa
II snort, unused sections did no, ao~r.
b sate moro than approximately 30 per
Nts1,n
1ect was inconsidc bic as to ,nj,o,c.
the parts not used ana conCcr,;rr
"nieh 9no prospect could br show
might agsreEatc as much as 30 nor
t' I'm ~ that where The unused por-
uon consisted of one or two nor,4 No,
on the end Of the project they irirnt
aggregate approximately 90 nor cn,t
OF the entire project; % that ,vbors
tne unused portion consisted Of nm.
/ part at each end OF the nro,ac, 'i
Y connected with small town or ci,
ssor an improved ROAD or auothcr No..
route, such portion might coTnnriso m,
/ fortunately par cent OF the cn,i,..
epFoJect; to) that wh.ro the unnen,,
Pc! t.on concerning which no prospcc;
existed comprised a stretch a, ana ,,,,1
sof the project connecting v,iib - -,
city, II might comprise anurOxir,at,I,
~ per cent OF the total length Of ia
project. va INC
CALLS FOR STATE
SYSTEM or ROADS
l am sratihed to say that. win All
6pi ltia troubles, the post road NO
I&sision has served 10 discv,,ir,.
.Bsn1all percentage OF the projects e,,
united. This IS proved Nv no a.,
that tia out out OF 22s projects submitted hS
as..Ie 'tae n!EhweH dopartncu,s 4.
November 80. lel7 inclusive. IGs ho,.a
been approved ana SIX d.sa,,rr,.,.d
s|ihe amounts OF Federal ala iuynr,.n,i
IN me projects submitted is s6CG+