The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1919-12-25
ROAD
BUILDING
ORDER ALL MATERIAL EARLY
United Action Urged to Overcome De.
fieiency in Open-Top Cars
Much Work Ahead

prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture)
While the expenditures during 1919
for hard-surface highways, according
10 estimates of the bureau of public
roads OF the United States depart
ment of agriculture. will set a new rec
ord with total of S13SOOOOOO, this
figure is small in comparison with
the computed available total for 1920
or $633, 100000, the spending of which
promises to be dependent chiefly on
the quality of materials the present
limited railway facilities can trans
port.
The items entering into next years
estimate are: Brought forward from
unfinished work, 1919 contracts, $685.
100000; funds available from state
and county taxes and federal aid. S273.-
100000; one-fifth state and county,
bond issues not before available, $780,
OO0,OCo; one-third uneXpcnded balance
OF state and county bond issues pre-
viously available, $4,000, 600; available
from new bond issues to be voted on
in the fall of 1919 and spring OF 1920,
$1OO,OOO,OOO.
Unless the available open-top cars,
many of which normally lie idle i'm
the late winter, are utilized in that
slack season the work which can be
done will necessarily be curtailed for
lack of materials. The total for 1920
is more than four times the amount
that has been expended during any
previous year for like purposes. There
fore there must be n tremendous in
crease not only in the material sup
plies and shipping facilities, but also
in the labor supply, and an enlarge
ment of contractors organizations.
First of all, according to Thomas III.
Macdonald, chief Of the bureau OF pub
lie roads, the attention of all state,
county and city road-buildlng inter
estS should be directed toward over
coming this car shortage.
1t has been customary to wait until
contractors organizations were ready
to begin work before starting the ship
ment of material. Under these cOndi-
tions many thousands Of open-tOp
cars lie idle during the latter part of
February, all of March, and the ear
lier part of April. During the past
'pl iiS biiC iluilll'tl vi blltll-lblb NiIS llldl
were idle tOtaled more than 100000.
This, of course, was partly unavoid-
able, owing to the late date at which
work got under way, following the
signing of the armistice. BY award
ing contracts as early as possible, con-
tractors will be able to ascertain their
material requirements at different
points, and SO will be in position to
place orders dependent on rail trans
pOrtation a considerable time in ad-
vance
While the placing of material in
storage, which may result from such
course, involves some expense, it will
be small compared to the loss that will
result If contractors are not i'm a posi-
ton to go ahead with the work because
of lack of materials. In view Of the
experience Of 1919 and the greatly in
creased program for next year, It
seems probable, according to the bu-
reau of public roads, that contracts
which are not awarded during the win
ter months will have little opportunity
for being supplied with materi Is
which require transportation.