The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-05
GREATEST FUNDS
 ID BUILD ROADS
Total of $574,OOO,OOO For Cooperative Road
 Building.

Washington. March 5 - With full state cooperation according to the terms of the Federal Aid Road Act, the United States will have a total of at least S574,OOO, 900 for cooperative road building during the next three years. The Federal part of this fund is assured by an extra appropriation of $209,O0O, 900 in the post office ap- propriation Dill just passed by Cor Fress and signed by the President.
 Officials of the Bureau of Public Roads, U. s. Department of AgricuI- ture which administers the provisions of the Federal Aid Road Act anG CO., operates with the state Eovernm ents in the expenditure of the money, point out that this amount of funds is the largest ever appropriated for similar purposes and for a similar period by any government in the history of the world, and that it enables the federal Dd state governments to carry out a road building program Of g. 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 rer0rts received from State highway departments. the Bu- reau of Public Roads estimates the 1919 expenditures for roads and bridges at s3s5, 100000. or $11O.OOO,- 900 more than the average expendi- lures for 1916 and 1917.
 Road Definition Broadened.
 An important effect of the law con- taining tho new appropriation is that 
 post road. under which class a high way had 10 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 7he road or that there should be a, reasonable prospect that mail would be carried on 1t within a short time aftec improvement. The new act says, 60" the term rural post roaGs' shall be construed to mean any public road. a major DOT ton 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 transportation Of the United States mails, excluding every street aid road in g, place having a popula- lion. as shown 'ry- the latest available Federal census, of 2,5OO or more, ex- cept that portion of any such street or road along which the houses aver age more than 200 feet apart
 Government Limit Raised
 The new act also raises the gov ernment limit of contribution from not to exceed $1O,OO0 a mile to not to exceed $20. GOO a mile, taking ac- count of higher present costs of labor { and materials.
 The original Federal Aid Road Act, which became law in July, 1918, ap- propriated s75,000,O00 to aid in the . construction of post roads during a fve-year period ending June 30, 1921 and s1O,O0O.0OO to aid in forest road building during a ten-year period ending June 30, 1926 Not over s3.- 1 0oO, 000 of the original s85, ,O00 ] had been expended prior to 1919. sc 1 that $62,000,0OO plus $209, 100000, or a total of s291, 100000 of Federal | funds, will be available. of which i S2ST, 900, 600 will be available during ] the next three years The act and its l amendment require the states to pro- 1 vide at least an equal amount on the 1 post-rOad work, and 1t is customary 1 for the states and localities to contrI- | bute toward the forest-road work.