Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1920-08-28

WAY CONSTRUCTION The unprecedented stimulus given highway construction in the United States in the four years that have passed since the Federal Government entered upon it's policy of aiding road improvement is shown by the fact that road operations under the Fed ~eral aid road act thus far initiated aggregate in length nine times the distance from New York to San Fran cisco, according to Thomas H. Mac Donald, Chief of the Bureau of Public Roads, United States Department of Agriculture. The Federal Govern ment's share in this stupendous un- dertaking is greater than the cost of the Panama Canal. The participa- tion of the National Government in highway improvement marked de- parture from a policy which had been followed for nearly a century. Fed eral cooperation with the States on approximately "5O-50" basis has counted more than any other factor, says MT. Macdonald, in initiating highway construction that is being carried on under adequate supervi- sion, and in accord with program coordinating local, State, and nation al needs.
 Highways of Durable Types.
 Second only in importance to the size of the present road-building pro gram is the excellence of the char acter of the roads being built. Sixty per cent of the total allotment of Fed eral funds which has been approved to date will be spent for roads of such durable types as bituminous concrete, Portland cement concrete, and vitri- fled brick. These roads, when built, will increase by 7,600 miles the total of 14,40O miles of roads of this class which existed in the Uuited States before the Federal-aid road law was passed. But these figures by no mean represent the total mileage af- fected. .....
 In 1915 the total expenditure for roads and bridges by all the states and local governments was $267 ,OOO,- 900, while this year the estimated funds available for main road con- strudIion are nearly thgee times that amount, or $633, 100000. In all, Fed eral funds to the amount of $266,- 75O,OOO have been apportioned among AS States without a suggestion of favoritism-so adequate are the pro- visions for just apportionment..
 Far-Reaching Results. .
 One of the early and most far reaching results directly attributable to the adoption of the Federal-aid program was the creation of adequate State highway departments in l7 States which previously had either no State department, or departments in sufficiently equipped. Within one year after the passage of the Federal- aid road act more constructive State highway legislation was placed upon the statute books than had ever been enacted in similar period in the his tory of the country. ..
 The insistence of the Government rpon the construction of Federal-ald ,oads under the supervision of engl- ieers of the State departments has re- kulted- in placing much larger pro portion of road work under skilled lirection. In 1915, the year before he Federal-aid act was passed, only Q per cent of the money for roads md bridges built in the United States vas expended under the supervision State highway departments. This ear these departments will exercise Dntrol over fully 80 per cent of the rpe Sums that will be spent for road 1ilding. ..s s
 The Federal Governments present .opram of highway improvement IS Q result of two acts: The Federal d road act, signed by the President rlv II, 1916, and provisions in the ,st- Office appropriation bill for (2O, signed February 2S, 1919, con ming an amendment to the original bderal-aid road act. The orig,nai
 nropriation of $75,0O0,OOO was ade available for rural post roads
 ;nstallments at the rte of $5,OOO,-
 fon the fiscal year ending June
 1917; $1O,OO0,O0O for the fiscal
 hr 1918; $15,0O0,O00 for the year
 g: S2O,OOO,OO0 for the year 1920;
 b s25, ,OOO, ,OOO for the fiscal year
 ing June 1, 1921. Ten million dol
 for forest roads was made avail
 at the rate of $1,O00,000 a year
 er July 1, 1916. The apportion-
 ht of the post-road appropriations
 he States, after deducting the ad-
 istrative fund, which must not ex-
 l 8 per cent, is based upon area,
 ,lation ,and mileage of rural de-
 W and star routes in each state.
 h of these factors has weight of
 third
 Federal Activities Broadened.
 = -u,ontbo affer the sipning of