The Little River news., 1919-05-14
l-ii lLE RIVER WILL GET
 s7a,36s.l4 FROM STATE.
Federal Government Will Help State in Constructing Highways; Little
 River Gets Big Lift for Roads.

Foderat GOvernment VIII Help State
 in Constructing Highways; Little
 River Gets Big Lift for Roads. Special to the News.
 Little Rock, May 12.-The era of talk. and resolutions end editorial commen- dation of good roads has passed, and has been succeeded by an era of actual construction. For many years good roads were built largely on paper, in Arkansas, and contracts never got fur ther than enthusiastic resolutions adopted in good roads conventions.
 During the five year period ending in 1921, the Federal Government will ex- pend total of s275,OO0,OOO for the promotion of highway projects throughout the country.
 The amount allotted to Little River county is 7s.ss9.14
 Since this represents only about one- sixth of the amount that must be ex- pended in the building of roads, 1t fol- lows that there will be spent in Ark ansas during the five year period, ap- proximately $25OO0,OOO for the con struction of improved systems of hard surface highways.
 The roads already constructed to which Federal or state funds have been given. and all prospected roads provided for under the Alexander Road Law, or by special act of the Legisla- ture of 1917-19, make total of 7,O54 miles of which 5,25O miles is by special act. There are 164 highway districts in the state, created by acts of the last two sessions of the General Assembly. l. Every County Has Districts. Every one of the 75 counties of the state has one or more project previous to the last Legislature. Calhoun was ! the only county that had made no pro gress in the organization of districts for the building of hard surface roads; but now there are projects for 160 miles in that county Benton county leads the state m the authorized mile- , age of 21o miles. Union being close second with 200. and Pulaski third with 195 miles.
 i, In discussing this tendency toward a realization of the dreams of other years: w. B. Owen, State Commissioner; of Lands, Highways, and Improve ments. says:
 There has never been such another era of good roads building throughout the country, and Arkansas is to be commended for the forward stand 1t has taken in the promotion of high ways that will double or treble the ef- ficjency of our farms, and solve many of the problems of profitable market- ing that are now disturbing the agri- cultural conditions of the state. Very properly and without complaint upon their part. the greater part of the bur den ia being placed upon the owners of automobiles and motor driven vehicles, which gre reduced to a minimum of efficiency by bad roads. In 1917. the Legislature appropriated $469, 1000. and in 1918. 1t appropriated $s5o.00O from the automobile license sund for the purpose of meeting the requirements of the Federal Government for the ex- tension of aid. This insures stable source of revenue for carrying out the
 most comprehensive plans for a sys- fem of highways connecting up all the dounty seat. and sending its laterals ihto the farming and industrial com mpnities.
 fThe State and Federal aid available foS. .hi& &hway cinstruction will amount to abosN one-sixth of the total cost of To p3o5eAt. and the other fve-sixths Tmusf M provided by a tax on the pro perty th7pugh which the road runs and that a snt to 1t. and subject to It's beneAt Fhe cost of the roads varies sfe6tly A to the character of the |lan1s tfN91 lpsd and the availability of r0ao b1f <3 matersal The cost will ran1S il6u6 o2.0o0 to $15.OOo . mile. Bon4 QnHiAs from fifteen to thirty yeera. e aysrage being 20 years. will be issued. st : rate Of interest not to sxceed 2 Dss cspt It has been esti- natsa thst : many sections of the state ~ av}tase of fifteen cents ah acrS ber ye(ar. for . period of twenty years. VIII build the roads and retire |the bonds.
 ThA. ta3 will vary according to tho location ok the land, that nearer the rood payin)g higher than that more re- mote III tax cannot exceed the bApedts no the cost Of the roads. and ne PI be sauitsply laid on all lands iYY districts, including rail-