The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-28

standpoint Of highway development
is beginning to center upon the Ma
tional Highway bill, introduced In
Congress by Senator Townsend. This
measure provides for the creation OF
a Federal Highway Commission and
the establishment OF a national sys
tenn Of highways.
1t is presented by its supporters as
piece of Legislation designed &c
bring about the construction Of a na
tional highway system within q
reasonable length of time, to CO.
ordinate all the highway activities OF
the Government, and to publish sta
tistics and data on highway transpor-
tation, construction, and maintenance
for the benefit of all Of the people.
Secretary Houston, of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture, has raised a
question as to the desirability of the
proposed legislation. In reply to an
inquiry recently he said, that the
roads in each section of the country
vary in degrees Of Importance in the
service rendered or that may be rem
dered to any particular locality, that
the traffic conditions vary greatly in
the different sections, that the State
highway departments are better able
to classify the roads than anyone else,
that Under the present Bankhead bill
the Government is cooperating with
State highway departments in the
classification Of the roads, and when
the classification has been carefully
made, and by agreement between the
State Highway Departments OF ad-
joining States the roads Of first i'm
CfafA
boundaries" Having the above
points in mind the secretary added
he could not see the wisdom OF Sub
stituting for the present cooperative
program a plan which would commit
or limit the Federal Government to
the construction of two Federally
owned trunk line highways in each
State"
Bin Does Not Conflict.
H. G. Shirley, member CT the Fed
eral Highway Council, and former
State highway engineer OF Maryland,
stated that the national highway bill
does not interfere with the co-opera-
tive plan existing among the States
with the Federal Government 1t only
substitutes for the Secretary OF Agri-
culture the Federal Highway Commits
sion, which, under the law, is charged
with the duty of carrying out the pro-
vision Of the Federal aid law as now
operated, and all other obligations or
contracts entered into by the Secre-
tary Of Agriculture with the re-
spective States. Therefore, the ef-
fectiveness of the Federal act plan,
as argued by the Secretary Of Agri-
culture, will not be interfered with in
the least The bill has further made it
the duty OF the commission to make
a recommendation to Congress as to
the future operations OF the Federal
aid law after 1921.
THE national highway bill Is en-
tirely a new piece of legislation. Its
object is to build in each State trunk
line highways to the extent Of not
less than . per cent nor more than 5
per cent OF the total mileage OF the
State, and to join them up with the
main trunk lines Of other States so
as to make a complete national sys-
tenn connecting the entire country to-
gether. It creates a system OF ma
tional highways, independent Of the
States, and highways that will carry
interstate traffic. and that are neces-
sary for the welfare Of the country
as a whole.
"Under the present Federal aid law
the Federal Government has no power
to select the roads in any one State
that will be improved. The initiative
Is with the State highway depart
ments, and in many instances is real
" with the counties themselves, who
have to put up the States portion Of
the money.
Constitute Rural Post Roads.
1.-THE only Limitation prescribed by
the Federal aid law are that the
roads shall be rural post roads. When
A road has met this condition, 1t is
The duty Of the Secretary OF Agricul-
-ure to give his approval to it's con-
Struction. All Federal aid projects
start with the fOrty-eight different
State highway departments. and such
projects are considered in forty-eight
different lights, by forty-eight differ
mt men holding forty-eight opinions.
md it can be seen that a national
olan that would evolve from such a
procedure would be most chaotic, to
Jay the least. 1t is also impossible
Inder the Federal aid law to so CO.
'rdInate the forty-eight State sys-
ems that a plan would be finally |
volved that would form a connected |
ystem throughout the country in a |
lifetime.
THE personnel OF the State high |
7ay departments is constantly chang
ne, and in a more or less degree the |
tate highway systems are changed /
nth the changing of the State high
yay officials. 1t is. therefore, out
I the question to expect any con-
ected system OF roads between the
Orty-eight units, over which there is
o supervisory power or anyone with
to bring these forty-eight
nits into accord. or 10 direct them
l improving those roaGs that would
0rm a national system.
Many OF the States nave laid out q