El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-07-01
FEDERAL DEPARTMENT IS NEEDED
TO GIVE NATION A HIGHWAY SYSTEM

LEGISLATIVE attention. from the standpoint of highway
Il Development IS beginning to center upon the National
highway bill introduced congress by senator Townsend
This measure provides for the creation Of federal highway
commission and the establishment of national system Of
highways It is presented by its supporters piece Of
legislation designed to bring about the construction Of
national highway system within reasonable length Of
time coordinate al the highway activities of the govern
ent and publish statistics and data highway trans
porao construction and maintenance for the benefit of
all Of the people
Secretary Houston of department of agriculture
raised question the desaby Of the proposed legs
alton In reply to inquiry recently he stated:
That the roads in each section Of the country vary in
degrees Of importance in the service rendered that
be rendered to any particular locality, that the traffic con-
ons vary greatly in the different sections that the state
hhva departments are better able to classify the roads
than else that under the present Banhead bin the
government IS cooperating with state highway departments
IN the classification Of the roads, and when the classification
been carefully made and by agreement between the
state highway departments Of adjoining states the roads
Of first importance generally meet at state boundaries
Having the above points in mind the secretary added that
he could not the wisdom Of substituting for the present
cooperative program plan which would commit limit the
federal government to the construction Of two federay
owned trunk line highways in each state"
h 6. Shirley member Of the federal highway council
and former state highway engineer Maryland stated that
the national highway bin does any way interfere
with the cooperative plan existing among the states
with the federal government Il only substitutes for the
secretary agriculture the federal highway commission
which, under the law charged with the duty Of carrying
out the provisions OF the federal aid law operated
and al other obligations contracts entered into by the
secretary Of agriculture with the respective states There
fore the effectiveness Of the federal act plan argued by
secretary Of agriculture viii not be nterfered with in
he least The bin further made it the duty of the
mission to make recommendation congress to the
future operations Of the federal aid law after 1921
The National highway bill is entirely piece Of
legislation It's object is to build each trunk line
highways to the extent Of not less than percent
than percent OF the total mileage of the state and T. JOIN
them up with the main trunk lines of oher states
make complete national system connecting the entire
country together It creates system Of national highways
rr0r7 dent will
Interstate traffic and that necessary for the welfare
Of the country 2 whole.
Under the present federal the federal government
has power to select the roads any state that VIII
be improved. The initiative Is with the state highway
departments and IN many instances is really with the
counties themselves who have to put the states portion
The only limitations prescribed by the federal aid law
are that the roads shall be rural post roads When road
has met this condition. is the duty of the secretary Of
agriculture give his approval to its construction All fed
eTa aid projects start with the different state highway
departments and such projects considered N different
lights by IS different men, holding IS opinions and
be that national plan that would evolve such
procedure would be chaotic say the least It IS
impossible under the federal aid law coordinate
state systems that plan would be finally evolved that
would form connected system throughout the country
I lifetime.
The personnel the highway departments is con-
stsnty changing and IN less degree the state
highway systems changed with the changing Of the
state highway officials It therefore ont of the question
to expect any connected system of roads between the
units over which there no supervisory power anyone
with authority to bring these units into accord or to
direct them IN improving those roads that would form
national system
Many Of the states have laid out system Of state
highways number Of these Highways are designated bv
law and have been laid down by the legislatures and are
always the roads recommended by the state highway depart
ntS Some OF these roads being constantly changed
at each meeting Of the legislatures so that the system as
ncw laid down VIII not be the system finally constructed
Many OF the roads as laid out in the state system on which
FEDERAL aid IS being expended should never viii be
CLASSIFIED as national highways, but they constitute large
portion Of the mileage Of the plans that have been approved
As general state system and which there has already
been granted federal aid.
II WI take many years TO complete these state systems
anoer me FEDERAL aid allotment and the present rate
construction it viii be lifetime before there viii be cor