Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-08-06

deferred war construction, for nor
mally the amount spent on roads in
the United States is we'll above ST.
100000 and the war restriction breaks
applied brought road building almost
to Il stop in many localities.
Three great factors have been
largely responsible for this years am
azing highway expenditures. First,
the incentive for states to match
federal aid appropriations; second,
the passage of enormous bond issues
for good roads III many states; and
third, the attention on the urgent
need Of good roads by the war.
Reports from state highway COM
missioners to the Goodrich officials
some interesting individual features.
Construction in Virginia during the
next six years of $3.50 milesof hi III
way at cost of more than $G0,0O0,-
600 has been approved.
In the New England statcs-Con-
necticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Is
land, Vermont and New Hampshire
have been interesting in closing up
short gaps on their main highways,
which arc otcrwisc improved for the
entire distance. The same condition
has been true in New York, where
numerous projects are being linked
up with an extensive network of
roads which are already hard sur
faced.
One Of the features Of this years
work will be the completion of the
Dixie Highway, which will be done by
the states cooperating with each
other and with the government. For
instance, in Illinois the highway will
be improved in many spots, one OF
which is over Il distance of 54.5 miles
at cost of $9Ol,7OO and the con-
struction will be of concrete and bit
luminous macadcm. At the same time
Georgia will be working on the road
from Atlanta through to Macon, a
distance of ~ miles and continual
ton of the Dixie Highway in that
state. The Tennessee and Kentucky
projects are under way which will
further serve to improve this famous
old highway, Which will further
serve to improve this famous old
highway, which cuts through the
central section of the country from
north to south.
Iowa is entitled to the palm for
consistent road construction. This
state, which has more automobiles
per capita than any other state in
the union, spent in the neishborhood
of S15,OOO,OO0 during both 1917 and
1918, and is spending $20,498,534
this year. Iowa has an ideal road
building program. When their state
system is completed it will be not
only the equivalent not only of q
trunk line system converging to the
cities, but to trunk line clear across
the state from east to west through
every county, and north and soutf
/ through every county as well. Inc
Iowa plan will give each state The
most notable road achievement o.
any state in the nation. Nowhere else
has a system been adopted that treat
every county alike or that rcachc
every district impartially.
Texas leads the nation in highwa.
expenditures this year with $GO,4o0,
600 available. Texas also led las
year. Within her borders Texas ha
10000 miles of unimproved ROADS
as against $4,000 miles of improves
highway.
Iowa, California, Michigan, Ohio
Indiana and Minnesota, rank next il
expenditures for road building in tn
order named. Thus it will be notc'
that the agricultural states appro
priations exceed those of other nc
gins by many millions.