The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-06
HALF BILLION 80 ~
FOR HIGHWAYS
Federal Government to Give
Much Aid in Build
ing Roads ..a
Il
Alb AVAILABLE
IN THREE YEARS
Largest Amount of Money for Road
Construction Appropriated by any
Government-States Must Contribute
an Equal Amount.

+; WASHINGTON, March 6.-With full
state cooperation according to the terms
of the federal aid road act, the United
States will have total of at least 1914,
900, 900 for cooperative road building dur
ing the next three years. The federal
part of this fund is assured by an extra
appropriation of S209,000,000 in the post
office appropriation bill just passed by
congress and signed by the President.
Officials of the bureau of public roads,
Z. $. department of agriculture. which
administers the provisions of the federal
aid road act and co-operates with the
state governments in the expenditure OF
the money, point out that this amount
of funds is the largest ever appropriated
Tor similar purposes and for similar pc
Rod by any government in the history OF
the world, and that it enables the federal
and state government to carry out a road
building program OF a magnitude never
equalled
In connection with the federal-aid pro-
gram it is also noted the expenditures
Tor highway work in the United States
| this year are likely to amount to a hall
billion dollars or more On reports re-
ceived from state highway departments.
the bureau of public roads estimates the
! 1919 expenditures for roads and bridges
at 1881, 100000, or $ll0,000,000 more than
| the average expenditures for 1916 and
| 1917
| An important effect of the law con
tanning the new appropriation is that il
| lroadens the definition of rural post
road. under which class a highway had
| % qualify in order to receive the benefit.
Of the federal aid act.
The new act says. 80 the term 'ru
raj post roads go shall be construed
TO mean any public road, a major portion
Of which is now used or can be used, oil
| forms connecting link not to exceed
| 10 miles in length of any road or road,
now or hereafter used, for the transporta
| ton of the United States mails, exclud
| ng every street. and road inca place hav
ng population, as shown by the latest
| available federal census, of $500 or more
| except that portion of any such stree
or road along which the houses average
more than 300 feet apart"
The new act also raises the govern
ment limit of contribution from not t,
exceed $4,000 a mile to not to excee.
$4,000 a mile, taking account of highe
resent costs of labor and materials.
OF the $209,000,000 added TO the fund
available under the federal aid road act
the new law makes 100000 available
for expenditure by the secretary of agri
culture for roads and trails within o
partly within the national forests 1t a
so provides other measures which ar
expected to give great impetus TO tn
development of the road systems in tn
national forests.
The original federal aid road act, whic'
became law in July. 1916. appropriate
s75,000,000 to aid the construction OF pos
roads during a five-year period endin
June 80, 1921, and $l0,000,0O0 to aid in fol
st-road building during ten-year perio
ending June 80, 1926. Not over 100000
of the original S85,o00,Oo0 had been e,
f pended prior to. 1919, so that So, a00, 00
plus 500 600, or atotal, of $29l 900 ,ed
of federal finds win be- available, e
which 1897 100000 will be available dul
ing the next three years The act and il
amendment require the states to provid
at least an equal amount on the post-roa
work, and it is customary for the state
and, localities to contribute toward til
forest-road work