The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-11

Boston Transcript: From the pas
sage OF the federal aid road act TO De
cenber is, 1918, the secretary OF az
rzculture ha approved s55 road pro
jec1s. These involve the Improvement
Of 1857 miles of public roads at a to
tai estimated cost OF s5T.6s2o0os OF
which the federal government has
been requested 10 contribute $21,6os,-
900. There have been actually com
pleted twelve projects involving a to-
tai of %fifty-one miles OF road costing
approximately sei7 .54S, and on which
federal aid in the moua OF $3.50. $50
IL was paid.
From the coast OF Florida TO the
hills OF Maine and through the wheat
fields o. the north to the Pacific coast
and down TO the fringe OF Mexico the
O building work is going on Every
state has accepted its contribution
from the government and. while no or
sanized effort has been made aIons
those Ines TO the present time, The
states are working gradually TO the
system of national highways which
is strongly endorsed by travellers
This Greatest Year in Road Work.
The work of the federal department.
as well as that OF the states. has been
limited during the past year by abnor-
nEsI labor conditions and increase in
cost COUPLED with q decrease in eff
cheney. These factors viii re improved
this ear and, with restrictions lifted
read officials generally believe thai
1913 VIII see the greatest year in the
history OF modern road work.
Coupled with the plans that are al
ready outlined for expenditures on the
reads Is the legislative program DE-
fore congress which pro-ides for $500
100000 TO be expended over a period
or seTen years by federal aid. It Is es-
maSe that in the event of passage
OF this Dali. which would lake avail
Die Immediately SIS. 1000. goo for use IL
FEDERAL aid, it would De possible for the
government and the states 70 build a.
0 miles OF highway this year. IL Ia
Der could be obtained. Sucs a system
o. highways would make a fair start
On the larger undertaking OF improv-
Ing eTery main highway in thu United
States and road men everywhere. as
well as business men who are &C
ouainted with the economics Of road
work, are eagerly watchin the atti.
tude Of congress on this QUESTION.
What the States Are Doing.
IN Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Rhode Island, Vermont and New
the HIGHWAYS officials
been Interested in closing m by
federal aid short gaps IN their main
highways, which are otherwise i'm
for the entire distances. Thus.
OF the projects in these states have
d1rnfAI Tn h-
heavy type roads OF short mileage and
at considerable cost The same condi-
ton has been true in New .ork. where
the projects are all short
and undertaken with a view 10 linking
up an extensive network of roads
which are already hard surfaced.
In Pennsylvania, the only long pro-
ject was on the William Penn high
way. where construction Is under way
for q distance Of 32.S miles through
Dauphin. Lebanon and Berks -ccTlntfas.
a cost OF 1886, Ooo.
In Maine. federal aid has been coz
ceatrated on the main post road
through Portland, south through Au-
gusta n on into Massachusetts.
In Kansas, much of the work has
been done on the Ozark and the king
OF trails, on which AS miles OF CON
has been undertaken at a
cost OF $50, 900.
Alabama has been working toward
completion Of a state trunk line srs-
while two road projects on the
Observation-Disclosures road have occu,
pied attention in Virginia.
On the frln-e If the great la-eS
the last gaps have been closed or are
being closed on the road from C1ova-