The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-21

good roads enable the farmer to
transport his products to market at a
price less than of hauling it in wagons
and shipping 1t by rail Often food
the lack of proper transportation ia
cilities. They often deteriorate in
transit because of the slowness of
their journey. Good roads speed
them up.
The bureau of public roads gives
the cash expenditures on highways
for the year of 1915 as $685.. 0JO, 600.
During the war. most of the big road
building projects were temporarily
suspended and the result is that most
Of the highways turnout the country
are in rundown condition
The work of improving the high
ways already in existence and start
ing new projects will be limited only
to the supply of labor and material,
according to T. H. Macdonald, chief
of the public roads bureau. Road
construction work which is progress
ing in all parts of the country" he
said, sis rapidly absorbing all the ex-
cess labor there is in the land, and it
Is my opinion that before very long
there will be a shortage of workmen
for road work. During the next three
years we look to see the biggest road
construction program carried out that
has ever been undertaken in any part
of the world"
All over the country bond issues for
the construction of roa d S are
being announced. States are taking
advantage of the opportunity to re-
ceive financial help from the govern
ment under the terms of the federal
aid act, which provides that where a
state spends one dollar for road work
it is entitled to similar amount from
the government Most of the states
are getting federal aid on a 6O-40
basis. Only limitations prescribed by
the federal aid~act are that the roads
shall be rural post roads" When
a road has met this condition, it is the
duty of the secretary of agriculture to
give his approval to it's construction
and federal aid is extended.
The federal highway council,
which has headquarters in Washing
ton, is cooperating with some 1000
other organizations thruout the coun-
try interested in good roads for a
connected system of national high
ways to be constructed and main
tanned with the support OF the federal
government.
AS the result of the efforts of this
organization. a bill has been intro
duced in congress for a national sys-
tenn of highways. Its object is to
build in each state trunk line high
ways to the extent of not less than
two per cent, nor more than five 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 system con-
Meeting the entire country. The advo-
Gates of this measure claim that If
such a plan is adopted by congress it
will create a system of national high
ways. Independent of the states
highways that will carry interstate
traffic. Such a system of national
roads, proponents of the measure say,
is necessary for the welfare of the
country q whole.
It is the contention of the National
Highway council that the personnel
of the state highway departments is
constantly changing, and to a greater
or less degree the state highway poll
cies are changed with each succeed
ing administration. 1t is therefore
out of the question to except any con-
nected system of roads between the
forty-eight states, over which there is
no supervisory power, and between
which there is little coordination.
Only the national government can lazy
down and execute the nationwide de-
velopment of roads. 1t looks as tho
the federal government might get into
this game on a stupendous scale in
another decade.