Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-02
Highway Systems
Msy Be Mathematical
BY U. S. Congress

Washington. July iALeEislative at
tention, from the standpoint of high
way development, Is beginning to cen
ter upon the national highway bill in
troduced In congress by Senator {. r..
Townsend. This measure provides for
the creation OF a federal highway COM
mission and the establishment OF q
national system OF highways. II Is
presented by its supporters as piece
OF legislation designed to bring about
the construction OF n national highway
system within a reasonable length OF
time and to co. ordinate all the high
way activities Of the government
Secretary d. +. Houston. Of the de-
partmcnt OF agriculture, has raised n
question as 10 the deslrability OF the
proposed legislation. The secretary
said he could not see the wisdom OF
substituting for the present cooper
ative program plan which would
commit or limit the federal government
to the construction Of two federally
owned trunk line highways In each
state"
Creates Federal Commission.
II. @. Shirley. member Of the Fed
eral Highway council. and former state
highway engineer Of Maryland, said
the national highway bill does not in
any way interfere with the Cooper
ative plan now existing among the
states with the federal government. II
only substitutes for the secretary Of
agriculture the federal highway COM
mission. which. under the law, is
charged with the duty Of carrying out
the provisions OF the federal aid law
as now operated.
The national highway bill Is en-
tlrely a new piece Of legislation" he
said. Its object Is to build in each
state trunk line highways TO the ex-
tent 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 ma
tional system connecting the entire
country. II creates a system Of ma =
tional highway. independent Of the
states
Choice Now Rests With the stats.
Under the present federal aid law,
the governenmt has no power to Sc
iect the r0ads in any one state that
will be improved. The initiative is
with the state. and in many instances
Is really with the counties.
The only limitations prescribed by
the federal aid law are that the roads
shall be rural post roads. When a road
has met this condition, Il 10 the duty
OF the secretary Of agriculture to give
his approval to its construction. All
federal aid projects start with the 48
different state highway departments.
and such projects are considered in 70
different lights. by IS different men,
holding IS opinions and II can be seen
that a national plan that would evolve
from such a procedure would be most
chaotic, to say the least. II IL also
impossible under the federal aid law
to Coordinate the As state systems
that plan would be finally evolved
that would form a connected system
turnout the country IN a lifetime.
Present System 100 Year Task.
Many Of the states have laid out q
system Of state highways. A number
OF these highways are designated by
law and have been laid down by the
legislatures, and are not always the
roads recommended by the state hIsh-
way departments. Even these roads
are being constantly changed. Many
OF the roads as laid out In the state
systems should not and never will be
classified as national highways.
1T win take many years to com.
plete these state systems under the
federal aid allotment, and q the pres.