Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-07-07
WHAT ABOUT AUTO MONEY?

Marshalltown Times Republican: 1'he
Times Republican has been challenged |
to prove it's statements that county /:
which fails to comply with government
requirements for federal aid will lose :
a part or all of it's auto money as well. :
Section of the state law provides
into contract with the federal govern :
ment for federal aid by July l, 1920, :
shall be deemed to have waived it's
rights to participate in federal aid :
funds and the state highway commits
sion is then authorized and directed" e
to use the allotment in any other coun.
ty. 8
Section 6 prohibits county from -:
holding an election to authorize paw
ing more than once in two years Hence :
if an election this year fails to author :
izc paving, that bounty have waiv-. F:
ed it's rights before another election :
can be held f.
The bureau of public roads at Wash s.
ingtOn has notified the state highway |:
commission that this department viii =
not approve gravel reads on main e
thoroughfares mentioned. Policy is s
that roads must be adequate for pres s
ent traffic and increases reasonably eX-
pccted in near future" Thus if we fail =
to authorize paving, we will not be able s
to contract by July 1, 1920, for federal =
aid because the federal engineers will 8
demand paving. s.
The state law apprOpriates all of the s
auto license money to match Iowa's
share of federal aid money which is s.
$7,944, JOG in the appropriations already 8
made with another big one pending in
congress. 1t is believed by the high s.
way commission that the auto money s
will fall short of meeting all Of the
federal aid allotments.
Section . of the state law pledges s.
the state to match all future federal aid 3
funds and to make the required amount e
of state funds available, so in actual =
practice the state highway commission s.
will pay out the auto money equal
to federal aid money as far as it will go. l=
The first counties to come will be serv- II
ed in full and those that waive federal 8
aid will be kept waiting with merely =
credit upon the books of the state high |=
way commission and no money from s.
which to pay unless so many waive
that other counties will match federal
aid funds with their local bonds funds e
as to leave some auto money available
for distribution for something besides g
federal aid projects. 8
This will probably not he determin- =
cd until late in the year 1921 and by
that time the federal government will
have increased its federal aid funds so =
that the remaining auto money and s.
perhaps state tax besides will be
needed for federal aid projects. rs
The state highway commission adj
mits that there is>slim prospect for any =
county to get any auto money for any
thing but federal aid projects until at =
ter the year 1921 and after that the 8
commission does not, know what will T:
happen.
In the meantime the surveys for e
every federal aid project will be paid &
for out of the auto money before any I.
federal aid is granted and before any /.
distribution can be made to the coun- E
ties Whenever any county grabs an s
other county's share of federal aid, the 8
auto money will have to pay for the =
survey before there is anything left OF :
the auto fund for credit to the counties. F.
The Times Republican is banking its :
reputation on the prediction that there
..ain't going to be no core in the auto .
fund for the counties that waive thcir e