The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-20
STATES ARE SLOW N
ACCEPTING FUNDS

4
Ic~ Than Forty-fve Miles OF Road.
Compactcd With Federal Aid.
| Less than forty i've miles OF roads
| are reported completed by states
awaiting OF Federal aid. Appropria-
| tons made by congress to pay the
FEDERAL governments proportion oi
the cost Of state road building pro
! soon win be Increased materially. Ar
addition of $500. 200 ,sSS probably will
be available during the next three
| years.. 70
With these millions available and
| with the approval Of the Federal gov
eminent on $50 road building pro-
tects. involving 7.s6e.Sl miles OF
roads. less than firty-five miles--4%.-
see 10 be exact-of roads have been
constructed under the Federal aid
plan.
The Information and Education
Service Of the u. s. Department of La
Dor, cooperating with such national
organizations al the American Auto
mobile association, the Automo bile
Chamber of Commerce. and the Ma
tiopsi Highway Industries Associa-
ton. 10 calling 70 the attention OF
once getting under way such state
road construction as has been ap-
proved by the Federal government
ana for which the latter has at aside
funds.
In addition to Obvious benefits de-
rived from improved highways. the
Department Of Labor urges . new
argument especially important at
this time when labor conditions are
hvrQ ne
deavoring to ind An unembarrassed
way back to peace conditions For
the state at once to go in for road
building Ia. according to the Depart.
ment OF Labor. q direct way to sttmu-
iate business and absorb labor. To
all that has been said heretofore on
the value of good roads. now may he
an efficacious tonic Tor the Industrial
| organ liza ton OF the country.
| The department of Labor does not
deny that road materials and labor
! costs are high. Rather. the Informa-
| ton and Education Service asserts,
Indications are that prices will re-
main high for some time to come and
In view OF the forecasts for market
conditions II Is imprudent to longer
hold up state construction anticipat-
ing lower construction costs Eecrc-
tary OF Labor Wilson. both in recen,
address In New York city and in ar
article in Golfers Weekly. expressed
the conviction that an era of UMPIRE
cedented activities Is ahead OF Ameri.
can industry. He asserted his conf
den % In The ability OF American In
dustry to absorb. eventually. the labor
released from the army and from wal
Industries, He did not hesitate. how
ever, to emphasize the fact that dur
ing the months of transition from
war to peace conditions the labol
situation is ffaught with disquictinf
possibilities IL 1t In altogether neg
. lected.
Provide Employment.
Road building viii provide buffe'
employment for thousands OF mel
until they can be absorbed by indus
|, tries az the latter gradually reaci
J their peace-stride production. Roat
building Immediately pays dividend
: in increased land values. Roads ar
, an asset to every state and to thei
permanent value as public improve
] meuts Is now added their temporar.
value. of incalculabie importance. o
stimulating business and protectin
= states against the possibilities OF
!. period OF general unemployment
II the various states would get un
Q der way such road building project
eral COVER m mt, $56,f71,84
8 would be spent for better roads and
u II the construction costs are highe
. than In pre-war times, the actua
t financial outlay for the state need nc
n be higher. since approximately hal
3 OF the bill would be paid by the Fed
cral government
J. There have been set aside to cove
J. the Federal governments portion c
g the costs on the $50 road projects ap
proved in various states, more tina
SGT 100000 This now Is availabl
for states which will go to work o
= their road construction on plans Ar
-" proved by the Federal government.
Althou~h Federal aid for stat
!" roads has been available since 1911
- but eight states report road project
e involving Federal aid. completed
Arkansas has completed one projet
. involving $3.50 miles, California +hs
completed two projects OF 6,7s
e miles, Louisiana has completed or
project of four miles; Massachuset
: has completed two projects OF 1880
,: miles; North Carolina. one project {
y sol miles: Vermont. one protec. {
= .79s miles: Washington. one PROBE,
n OF 3.5 miles; and West Virginia, or
9 project OF 2.53 miles. In all, ten pre-
jcctS have been completed of toti
mileage OF less than fortyfve mile
In so FAR as getting under way roa<
, building projects involving Fe,leri
n aid goes. Arizona, Connecticut, Dels
d ware, Maine, New Jersey, Oklahom
- Rhode Island and Tennessee have fix
or less projects which now are az
proved by the Federal governmen
Five projects in Illinois Involve 1881
r, miles of road and the estimated co..
is s2.atG.3Il.92
= Texas with seventy projects. lea.
:, in the number submitted and Al
= proved by the government. These II
= volve a92.53 miles OF roads, the o:
timated cost being So 962 494i3
- In estimated cost OF road propec
: approved by the government. Penn
4 sylvania leads with a total cf 81
792 ,s15.65 and Ohio is second with
~. total estimated cost of t4,T77.207.0
: Pennsylvania program calls FOR tis
:, building of l46.sS miles, while
:, Ohio i4s-4 miles are involved
. The Information and Educatio
v Service, through the Division Of Pull
4 lie, Works and Cons iruction Develop
: Inents of the Il. =. Department of I.t
= Dor. emphasizes The fact that wit
" more than s45 100000 now apprt
priated by congress for Federal al
- In road building, less than ferty-fi,
!, mites II roads have .benh complete
= under the Federal aid plan, Sue