Republican farmer., 1919-02-21
ROAD BUILDING
 FOR UNEMPLOYED
States Have Not Taken Ad-
 vantage of Government
 Aid; Only 45 Miles Built
 Out of Possible 7 Million.

, Less than 4 miles of roads are re- ported completed by States avaiing of Federal aid Appropriations madc hy Congress to ray the Federal Gov ernments proportion of the cost of State road building projects now total $4S,5O0 coo. This soon will he increased materially. An addition of g2G0 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 7F@ road-bui lirg projects, invo1 ving T,9G9Sl niles Of roads less than A5 mi1es---4z G'g to be exact---of roads have been constructed under the Federal Aid plan.
 |. The Information and Education Ser ! vice of tho r. s. Department of La bOr, cooperating with such national organizations as the American < uto- l mobile Association. the Automobile ] Chamber of Commerce. and the Ma tional Highway Industries Association, Is calling to the attention of State of | ficials the desirabi'ity of at once get ! ting under way such State road con- structiOn as has been approved by the i Federal Government and for which the latter has set aside funds. 1 In addition to obvious benefits de- rived from improved highways, the ! Department of Labor urges q, new ar gument. especially important at this time when labor conditions are arous- ing anxiety and business is endeavor- ling to find an unembarrassed way hack to 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 poteuttalities 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 h-gh. Rather, the Informa-
 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. it is imprudent to longer hold
 up State construction anticipating
 lower construction costs. Secretary of Labor Wilson, both in a recent ad-
 dress in New York and in an article
 in Golfers Weekly, expressed the conviction that an era of unprece-
 dented activities is ahead of American
 v
 in the ability of American industry to
 absorb, eventually, the labor released
 from the army and from war indus
 tries. He did not hesitate. however to emphasize the fact th&H during the months of transition from war tC peace conditions, the labor situation
 is fraught with disquieting pOssibil-
 tties if it is altogether neglected.
 Road building will provide buffer e
 til they can be absorbed by industries
 as the latter gradually reach theil
 peace stride production. Road build ing immediately pays dividends in in
 creased land values. Roads are ar
 asset to every State and to their per
 manent value as public improvements is now added their temporary value of 1ncaIculab1e importance, of stimu- lating business and protecting States against the possibilities of a period Ot
 general unemployment.
 If the various States would get un, der way such road-butlding projects as have been approved by the Fedora Government, s56, IT, ,S4672 would b, spent for better roads and, if the con struCtion costs are higher than in pre- war times. the actual financial outla! for the States need not be higher , since approximately half of the bil l would be paid by the Federal Govern ) Inent.
 ) There have been set aside to cove
 the Federal Government portion O
 the costs on the 760 road projects ap
 r~oved in various States, more th:tI
 $21, ,000 900. This now is available fo
 States which will go to work on thei
 road construction on plans approved
 by the Federal Government. Although Federal aid for State road has been available since 1917, but eigh
 States report road projects, involving Federal aid, completed. In all, tel projects have been completed of a to tai mileage of less than 45 miles.
 In so far as getting under way road
 building projects involving Federal ai1 goes, Arizona, Connecticut Delaware
 Maine, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhod Island and Tennessee have five or les . projects which now are approved b, the Federal Government.
 , Texas with 70 projects, l%ads in tn number submitted and approved b, 5 the Government. These involve 992. 5 miles of roads, the estimated cost be ing s, 96S, ,494.43.
 !; The status of road-butlding project l in Connecticut as of December 31 | 191S in so far as they come under tn Federal Aid arrangement, is show herewith:
 l Projects approved by Federal Gov ernment, 8; mileage, 15.64. l Estimated cost, $385, ,654.8O; Fedora e aid, $156, 400.
 | Projects and mileage completed = none
 l Total allotment of Federal aid, S30S, y 313.63
 e Paid to State from Federal Fund s, SOLE.
 ANNIVERSARY OF OLUSTEI