The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1919-12-25
WORK GOES 0NW ARD
Progress of Highway Construction
Under Federal Aid Actively
Resumed After War.
No Obstacle Lies in Way of Build
ing Needed ROads-States
Comply With Act.

DELAYED in the program of good
roads by the war and confronted at
the end of that period by a condition
of badly rundown highways, the fed
eral government, cooperating with
the highway departments of the sew
eral states, has resumed the vigorous
prosecution of the work, and, says
David F. Houston, secretary OF agrl,,
culture. there is now no especial
obstacle to the construction, in the
different states of the union, of those
roads which serve the greatest eco
nomic needs. In his annual report
Secretary Houston says:
"Good roads are essential to the
prosperity and well-being Of urban
and rural communities alike.a They
are prerequisite for the. orderly and
systematic marketing Of farm prod
ucts, for the establishment of salts
factory rural schools, and for the de-
velopment of a richer and more at
tractive rural life. Recognizing these
facts, the federal government, through
the passage of the federal-aid road act
in 1916, inaugurated policy OF direct
financial participation in road-bulld-
ing operations in the various states.
This act appropriated $75,0O0,O0O, to
be matched by an equal amount from
the states, for the construction OF
rural post roads over period of five
years. and $1OOOO,O O0-$1, 000, 900 a
YEAR for 10 years-for roads within or
partly within the national forests. 1t
required each state to have respon-
sible central highway commission with
the requisite powers and funds. All
the states have complied with the
terms of the act, although it was
necessary for them to enact additional
LEGISLATION, or to amend their constl-
tutions, to provide sufficient funds to
match the federal apportionment, and
to strengthen existing central high
way bodies or to create new agencies:
ssWhen these preliminary steps had
been practically completed and the de-
partment and the states were about
ready to proceed vigorously with the
actual construction of roads, the Unit
ed States entered the war 1t soon
became necessary greatly TO- curtain
highway building because OF the dill
Guilty Of securing transportation, con
struction material, and the requisite
services. After the armlstlce was
signed arrangements promptly were
mace lOr Vic dCtlNS Aoo'.AAAH oAo 49,
vigorous prosecution Of road work in
ali sections of the country, not only
with a view to repair the damage
wrought by the heavy traffic forced
upon our highways during the war,
when maintenance operations were
seriously interfered with, but also to
provide adequate transportation faclll.
ties to serve the increased needs OF
agriculture and industry. Recognize
ing also that roadbuilding activities
would furnish suitable employment for
many unemployed men during the
period of transition from war to
peace, the congress at its last session,
accepting the recommendation OF the
department of agriculture, appropriat-
ed 5000 900 900, in addition to the $685.
100000 provided by the original act,
for the extension of road construction
in cooperation with the states, and
also made some important amend.
ments to the act. The definition OF
the kind of roads that can be con-
structed was greatly broadened and
the limitations on the federal con-
tribution for any one road was in
creased from $4,000 to $4,000 a
mile. These amendments have greatly
facilitated consideration Of and action
upon the road projects submitted by
the state highway commissions. There
is now no special obstacle to the con-
struction, in the different states OF
the union, of the roads which serve the
greatest economic needs"