The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1919-03-14
Big Road Building
Plans Announced

Plans Announced
1t is generally realized that q COM
presensive plan Of road building Is not
only an excellent method Of taking up
the slack of probable unemployment
during the readjustment period, but
ia also of the greatest Importance In
the further economic and intensive de-
velopment OF the United States. The
new and more liberal federal road
building program is outlined in re.
cent publication of the department of
agriculture as follows:
With the various states fully GO.
operating, according to the terms
of the federal aid road act, the Uni
ted States, will have a total of at
lease $574,O00,000 for cooperative
road building. during the next three
years. The federal part of this fund
is assured by an extra appropriation
of $209, 0O0, 900 in the postoffice. ap-
preparation bill just passed by con-
gress and signed by the president.
- Officials of the bureau OF public
roads, which administers the pro-
visions of the federal aid road act and
coopefates with the state governments
in the expenditure of the money, point
out that this amount of funds Is the
largest ever appropriated for similar
purposes and for similar period by
any government in the history OF the
world, and that it enables the federal
and state governments to carry out
a bodybuilding program of magni-
tude never eQualed.
In connection with the great fed
eral aid program it is also noted that
Expenditures for highway work in the
United States this year are likely to
amount to a half billion dollars or
more. On reports received from state
highway departments, the bureau of
public roads estimates the 1919 ex-
penditures for roads and bridges at
$685., OOO, 900, or $4,000, 900 more than
the average expenditures for 1915 and
I19l7. ''s
An important effect of the law con-
tanning the new appropriation is that
it broadens the definition of rural
post road, under which class high
way had to qualify in order to receive
the benefits of the federal aid act.
Under the old act it was required
that mail should actually be carried on
the road or that there should be a
reasonable prospect that mail would
be carried on it within a short time
after improvement. The new act says,
fho fnr tr,rro 10,
shall be constructed to mean any pub
lie road, major portion of which is
now used or can be used, or forms a
connecting link not to exceed 10 miles
in length of any road or roads now
or hereafter used, for the transporta-
ton of the United States mails, ex-
Guiding every street and road in a
place having population, as shown
by the latest available federal census,
of $500 or more, except that portion
of any such street or road along
which the houses average more than
! 200 feet apart"
The new act also raises the gov
eminent limit of contribution from not
, to exceed $4,000 mile to not to ex
coed 100000 mile, taking account of
higher present costs of labor and ma
terials.;
p The law also authorizes the secre
+ tary of war to transfer to the secretary
n of agriculture material, equipment anC
n supplies suitable for highway improve
/ ment and not needed by the war de
partment
S OF the $2O9,OO0,OOO added to the
l. funds available under the federal ait
road act, the new law makes $4,000,
e 900 available for expenditure by thu
: secretary of agriculture for roads ant
t. trails within or partly within the ma
l. tional forests. 1t also provides othe,
l. measures which are expected to Civ,
great Impetus to the development o
r the road systems in the national for
p ests.
e The original federal aid road act
n which became law in July, 1916, ap
# propriated $75,O00,O0O to aid in tn
reconstruction of post roads during
five-year period ending June 80, 1921
and s1O,OOO,OOO to aid in forest roa'
:, building during a 1O-year period end
ing June 30, 1926. Not over $4,000, 0O
= of the original $85,O0O,O0O had beef
% expended prior to 1919, so that $S2
% 100000 plus $2O9,OOO,OOO, or a total O
!, 1921 100000 of federal funds, will b
r. available. of which $2S7 100000 will b
40 available during the next three years
"a The act and it's amendment requir
the states to provide at least an equa
in amount on the post road work, an
h it is customary for the states and Il
,e calities to contribute toward the fol
IS est road work.
N But even $574,OOO,O00 does not rel
resent the total that may be expended
III Many states are voluntarily apprt
- irritating for highway huildinp and in