The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-03-07

gress and signed by the president.
Officials of the bureau of public
roads, U. S. department of agricul-
ture, which administers the provisions
of the Federal Aid Road act and CO.
operates 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 a similar
period by any government in the his
tory of the world, and that it enables
the federal and state governments TO
carry out bodybuilding program of
a magnitude never equaled.
In connection with the great federal
aid program it is also noted that ex-
penditures for highway work in the
United States this year are likely to
amount to 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
S385,OOO,000, or $110,000,000 more
than the average expenditures for
1916 and 1917.
Road Definition BrOadened.
An important effect of the law con-
tanning the new appropriation is that |
it broadens the definition of a rural |
post road, under which class a 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, the term rural post
roads shall be construed to
mean any public road, major portion
of which is now used or can be used,
or forms connecting link not to ex-
coed 10 miles in length of any road
or roads now or hereafter used, for
the transportation of the United
States mails, excluding every street !
and road in place having popula-
ton, as shown by the latest available
federal census, of $500 or more, ex-
cept that portion of any such street !
or road along which the houses av-
arage more than 200 feet apart"
Government Limit Raised.
The new act also raises the gov g
limit of contribution from not
% exceed $4,000 a mile to not to t
exceed $4,000 mile, taking account t
If higher present costs of labor and 2
Il
The law also authorizes the ssecre-
airy OF war to transfer to the secre- ia
airy of agriculture material, equip al
nent and supplies suitable for high le
way improvement and not needed by II
he war department. il
Of the 5000, 100000 added to the CO
unds available under the federal aid OF
DAD act, the new law makes $9,OOO,- IL
90 available for expenditure by the sc
ecretary of agriculture for roads and &c
rails within or partly within the nal A
onal forests. 1t also provides other be
leasures which are expected to give TT
reat impetus to the development of nj
ne road systems in the national for
SITS. FL
The original federal aid road act, m
hich became law in July, 1916, APP its
ropriated $75,000,00O to aid in the er
instruction of post roads during i'm
ve-year period ending June 80, 1921, Ell
I'D $10,000,O0O to aid in forest-road GU
hiding during a ten-year period end no
G June 80, 1926. Not over So ,OOO,- Re
10 of the original $85,OOOOO0 had KIN
zen expended prior to 1919, SO that
z, 100000 plus 5000 900, or a to- big
| of 1921, 100000 of federal funds. tin
III be available, Of which $287 OOO,- the
0 will be available during the next
rec years. The act and its amend KIN
emit require the states to provide at are
asst an equal amount on the post a {
ad work, and it is customary for de1
e states and localities to contrib
e toward the forest-road work. des
rel