The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-06-12
ROADS

hOAUS
Almost the first business of societ,
is roads-then more and more roads
and when ii has no more roads u
build its work in this world will b
nearly done. This country's roa,
building has hardly begun. There was
slump during the war, inevitably, 81
that we are behind the normal rate oi
development. which was too slow. II
is gratifying and significant, there
fore, that highway making is now
proceeding on scale never before
touched in the United States.
Price concessions from the produc.
ers of raw materials broke the cycle
Of waiting that still hobbies many in.
dustries.
New York has already contracted
for 3, 200, 900 yards Of roads.
Pennsylvania means to spend be-
tween $40, 0,000, 900 and $24, 100000 this
season.
Illinois intends to construct SOC
miles Of trunk line highway.
Minnesota is well started on $15,-
100000 programme.
One small Iowa county has voted
81 500, 900.
Other states are hard at work, COM
parably.
There has been a great spurt in
joint state and Federal projects, ag-
gregating 10000 miles. Thomas Nc
Donald, formerly chief engineer Of the
Iowa State Highways Commission,
who was recently appointed director
of the public roads bureau of the De-
partment of Agriculture, has found a
way to "short t-cut" the routine of Fed
eral approval and cooperation. The
central Office in Washington now pass
es on the general project. If it acts
favorably--and it is sure to act
promptly, in any evcnt--the whole
project is turned over to the proper
district engineer, there being ten such
engineers, with full authority to act
from then on. The district engineers
keep in close touch with the state and
local engineers as they develop the de-
tails of the projects and pass on them
rs fast as they progress, with the re-
ult that when the state engineer has
cached his final decisions the Federal
Areau is prepared to act coincident-
aily with him through its district rep
sentative.
This speeding up Of the wheels Of
governmental procedure is so graf
ying TO the states that the dissatis-
action which has existed in the past
with the workings of the Federal aid
system is dissipating. Some states
are so far exceeding the quota of the
Federal financial assistance they are
entitled to that, instead of spending
dollar for dollar, as planned, they are
spending four dollars for every dollar
they receive from the national treas
ury.
One effect of this increasing popu-
larity of the Federal aid administra-
tion may be, it is said by some Of the
good roads advocates, to diminish the
chances of the Townsend Federal
Highway Commission bill becoming
law. This bill, extensively amended,
has just been reintroduced into the
Senate By Senator Townsend, of Mich
igan. II provides for the spending of
S425, ,000,0 900 on a system of roads en-
tirely under national construction,
ownership and maintenance, and for
the taking over by the commission
that is TO direct the national rocds Of
the administration of the Federal aid
road act. As the latter act ard its
authorize the expendi-
ture of s2S9,000,00o this proposed
Federal commission would have the
spending Of about S700,o00,000
There is no necessary conflict be-
tween the commission idea and the
Federal aid act, as the S425, ZOO, 900
would be applied exclusively to ma
tional highways and the s2S9,000, 900
to state roads, but the states are so
jealous Of their independence in such
that ii was not easy to per-
suade them even to cooperate with
the Federal government on the plan
ming Of roads which were to be ex-
clusively theirs, though partly built by
national funds, II is feared, there
fore. that whatever its merits may be
il will be impossible TO get through
Congress law that will bring direct
national ownership and management
Of roads into every state, especially as
the present cooperative system is be-
ginning TO give satisfaction.
Supporters Of the Townsend bill
though, that the time has
come when there is imperative need
for great system Of national high |
ways, built with regard for national
interest and use rather than for local
and state interests and utility, and
that viii be as independen. Of local
control and interference as the far |