Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-03-14
Big Road Building
Plans Announced

1t is generally realized that com
presensive plan of road building Is not
only an excellent method of taking up
the slack of probable unemployment
during the REIMBURSEMENT period, but
is also of the greatest Importance in
the further economic and intensive de-
velopment of the United States. The
new and more liberal federal road
building program is outlined in re-
cent publication of the department OF
agriculture as follows:
With the various states fully CO.
operating. according TO the terms
of the federal aid road act, the Uni
| ted States will have a total of at
lease S574,000000 for cooperative
road building during the next three
years. The federal part of this fund
is assured by an extra appropriation
of $209, 600, 600 in the postoffice ap
preparation bill just passed by con
gress and signed by the president.
Officials of the bureau Of public
roads, which administers the pro
visions of the federal aid road act and
coopcrates with the state governments
in the expenditure of the money, poinl
out that this amount of funds is the
largest ever appropriated for similar
purposes and for a similar period by
any government in the history of the
world, and that it enables the fedora
and state governments to carry out
a bodybuilding program of magni
tude never equaled.
In connection with the great fed
eral aid program it is also noted thai
expenditures for highway work in the
United States this year are likely tt
amount to a half billion dollars OF
more. On reports received from state
highway departments, the bureau o
public roads estimates the 1919 ex
penditures for roads and bridges a
$685. 100000, or $4,000 900 more thai
the average expenditures for 1916 ant
1917.
An important effect of the law con
tanning the new appropriation is tina
it broadens the definition of a rura
post road, under which class a high
way had to qualify in order to receiv,
the benefits of the federal aid act
Under the old act it was require,
| that mail should actually be carried Oh
the road or that there should be
, reasonable prospect that mail woul,
, be carried on it within short tim
after improvement. The new act says
80 the term rural post roads
shall be constructed to mean any pull
lie road, major portion of which /
now used or can be used, or forms
connecting link not to exceed 10 mile
in length of any road or roads no,
or hereafter used, for the transports
; ton of the United States mails, eS
Guiding every street and road in
place having population, as show
by the latest available federal census
of $500 or more, except that porto
of any such street or road alon
,, which the houses average more tina
200 feet apart"
J The new act also raises the go'
+ eminent limit of contribution from nc
to exceed $4,000 a mile to not to e.
coed $4,000 a mile, taking account {
J higher present costs of labor and IN;
terials.
The law also authorizes the secrt
: tary of war to transfer to the secretar
of agriculture material, equipment an
: supplies suitable for highway improv,
] ment and not needed by the war d.
partment.
f OF the 5000, 100000 added to til
S funds available under the federal al
| road act, the new law makes $4,000
600 available for expenditure by tn
secretary of agriculture for roads an
trails within or partly within the III
tional forests. 1t also provides othe
! measures which are expected to civ
+ great impetus to the development {
t the road systems in the national 70
ests.
( The original federal aid road &C
3 which became law in July, 1916, a
!, propriated $75000,000 to aid in tt