The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-19
A NEW ERA IN ROAD BUILDING
BY FREDERIC J. HAsklN

and roads shown to carry more people
more miles than railroads.
Good roads have direct effect on the
cost OF living. Motor trucks and good
roads enable the farmer to transport his
products to market at a price less than
OF hauling 1t in wagons and shipping 1t
by rail. Often foodstuffs perish on the
farm because OF the lack of proper
transportation facilities. They often
deteriorate In transit. because Of the
slowness OF their Journey. Good roads
speeds them up
z The bureau of public roads gives the
cash expenditure on highways for the
year OF 1915 as 267.000,0 900. During the
/ war most of the big building prof.
ects were temporarily suspended and
the result is that most Of the highways
throughout the country are in rundown
Highway Improvement.
The work of improving the highways
already In existence and starting new
projects will be limited only to the sup
ply Of labor and material, according to
T. II. Macdonald, chief of the public
roads bureau. Road construction work
which is progressing in all parts of the
country" he said. Ms rapidly absorbing
all the excess labor there is In the land
and 1t is my opinion that before very
long. there will be a shortage of work.
men for road work. During the next
three years we look to see the biggest
road construction program carried out
that has ever been undertaken in any
part of the world"
All over the country bond issues for
the construction of roads are being an
nounced. States are raking advantage
of the opportunity to receive financial
help from the government under the
terms of the federal-aid act, which pro-
vides that where a state spends one
dollar for road work it is entitled to a
similar amount from the government.
Most of the states are getting federal
aid on a 60-40 basis The only limita-
tions prescribed by the federal-aid act
are that the roads shall be rural post
roads" When road has met this con.
dton 1t Is the duty of the secretary Of
agriculture to give his approval to its
construction and federal aid is extended.
The Federal Highway council, which
has headquarters in Washington, is CO.
operating with some 1000 other organ
izations throughout the country inter-
ested in good roads for connected sys-
tenn OF national highways to be con-
structed and maintained with the sup
port Of the federal government.
National system.
AS the result of the efforts OF this or
ganization, bill has been introduced in
congress for a national system of high
ways. Its object is to build in each
state trunk line highways to the extent
OF not less than 2 per cent. nor more
than per cent. of the total mileage OF
the state, and no join them up with the
main trunk lines of other states SO as to
make a complete national system con-
Meeting the entire country. The advo-
Gates Of this measure claim that IL such
a plan is adopted by congress it will
create a system of national highways
independent of the states-highways
that will carry interstate traffic. Such
a system of national roads. proponents
of the measure say. is necessary for the
welfare of the country as a whole.
1t is the contention Of the National
Highway council that the personnel OF
the state highway departments is con-
stantly changing, and to a greater or
less degree the state highway policies
are changed with each succeeding adj
ministration. 1t is therefore out of the
question to expect any connected sys-
tenn of roads between the forty-eight
states over which there Is no supervis
DRY power. and between which there is
little coordination. Only the national
government can lay down and execute
the nationwide development of roads.
1t looks as though the federal govern
ment might get into this game on a
stupendous scale in another decade.
(Subject of Mondays Letter, 1.-THE
$50 Dream of a City.")