The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-20
ROAD BUILDING
 FOR UNEMPLOYED
States Have Not Taken Ad-
 vantage of Government
 Aid; Only 45 Miles Built Out of Possible 7 Million.

Less than 45 miles of roads are re- ported completed by States availing of Federal aid. Appropriations made hy Congress to pay the Federal Gov rEnment's proportion of the cost of -qsate road building projects now total bGS, 500, GOO. This soon will be increased materially An addition of $2OO 900, 900 probably will be available during the next three years.
 With those millions available and with the approval of the Federal Gov ernment on 76O road-building projects, involving 7,SG96l miles of roads, less than 45 miles---449G9 to be eXact---of roads have been constructed under the Federal Aid plan.
 The Information and Education Ser vice of the r. g. Department of La bor, cooperating with such national organizations as the American Auto mobile Association, the Automobile Chamber of Commerce. and the Ma tional Highway Industries Association, Is calling to the attention Of State of ficials the desirahility Of at once get ting under way such State road con struction as has been, approved by the Federal Government and for which the latter has set aside funds.
 In addition to obvious benefits de-
  Department of Labor urges q new ar gumeut, especially important at this time when labor conditions are aTous- ing anxiety and business Is endeavor- ing to find an unembarrassed way hack 10 peace conditions. For the States at once to go in for road build ing Is, according to the Department of Labor, a direct way to stimulate bus mess and absorb labor. To all that has been said heretofore on the value of good roads, now may be added road buildings DotentialiTies as an eff ficacious tonic for the industrial or GanizatOn of the country.
 The Department of Labor does not deny that road materials and labor costs are high. Rather, the Inforna- ton and Education Service asserts, indications are that prices will remain high for some time to come and, in view of the forecasts for market con ditions. 1t is in1prudent to longer hold up State construction anticipating lower construction costs. Secretary of Labor Wilson, both in a recent ad- dress fin New York and in an article in Golfers Weekly, expressed the conviction that an era of unpreCe- dented activities is ahead of American industry. He asserted his confidence in the ability of American industry to sbSorb. eventually, the labor released from the army and from war indus tries He did not hesitate, however, to emphasize the fact that during the months of transition from war to peace conditions, the labor situation Is fraught with disquistlug possibiI- ities if 1t is altogether neglected.
 Road building will provide buffer employment for thousands of men un- SN they can be absorbed by industries as the latter gradually reach their Seace- stride production. Road build ing immediately pays dividends in in creased land values. Roads are an asset to every State and to their per nanent value as public Improvements is now added their temporary value, of tncaIculab7e importance. of stimu- lating business and protecting States against the possibilities of a period of general unemployment,
 If the various States would get un- der way such Toad-building projects as have been approved by the Federal Government, $58, S46.72 would be spent for better roads and, if the con structiou costs are higher than in pre- war times. the actual financial outlay for the States need not be higher, since approximately half of the bill would be paid by the Federal Govern ment.
 There have been set aside to cover the Federal Governments portion of the costs on the 760 road projects asp- proved in various States, more thun S21 900 600. This now Is available for States which will go to work on their road construction on plans approved by the Federal Government
 Although Federal aid for State roads has been available since 1917. but eight Et1reS report road DrDieCtS involving Federal aid, completed. Tn all, ten projects have been completed of to- tai mileage of less than 45 miles
 In so far as getting under way road building projects involving Federal aid goes, Arizona Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey. Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Tennessee have five or less projects which now are approved by the Federal Government.
 Texas with 70 projects, lzlds in the number submitted and approved by the Government These involve 992.5 miles of roads, the estimated cost be ing S3, S6S 49443.
 The status of road-bu1lding projects in Connecticut as of December 31, 1918, in so far as they come under the Federal Aid arrangement, is shown herewith:
 Projects approved by Federal Gov ernment, 8; mileage, 15.64.
 Estimated cost, $3S5, ,654-3O; Federal aid, S156, 400.
 Projects and mileage completed, none.
 Total allotment of Federal aid $3OS,- 213.62.
 Paid to State from Federal Fund, $5,901.15.
 ANNIVERSARY pgT OTJrSTEE