The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-03-12
NO FEDERAL AID FOR
GOOD ROADS THIS YEAR
Congress Will Kill SIS, ,0OO, 600 Appropriations For
Roads in Interest $1,l38, 100000 For
Army and Navy
BY w. o. SAUNDERS

HAVING reached the limit of the Fed
eraI auportionment for road work in
North Carolina, the State Highway Com
mission announces that highway projects
not vet approved by the Commission
will likely be held up until the Federal
Government has made some arrange
ment for the continuation of the appro-
priations that have supplemented State
and county funds for road work.
This item from the state news of last
week is of deeper significance, to the
road building counties of North Carolina
than appears on it's face. 1t means that
further appropriations hinge upon the
action of a Congress that is facing
budget of more than seven billion dol
lars. with only five billions In taxes
coming in. There is every probability
that Congress will kill the item of $751;
loco 900 for road building this year, thus
cntting off North Carolina and every
other state from Federal aid, even tho
thousands of road building projects are
. already under way in anticipation OF this
Federal aid. DESTINATIONS champions Of
+ ECONOMY have already taken the floor
!, in Congress and are whooping for the
+ scalp of that road building approprla-
ton. 1t will be killed.
e Locally this will mean that Pasquo-
: tank County will have to carry on Its
= road building without Federal ~alo, OF
= postpone it's road building program IN
: definitely. Pasquotank isn't gong TO
hold up it's road work But the ques-
n ton arises, did Chairman Page OF the
If State Highway Commission suspect there
" would be no Federal appropriations TINS
n year when he finally assured US feW
" weeks ago that State and Federal Aid
,r would be granted on the proposed Ellz-
,r abetll City-Gates County Highway!
r The tax payers will dgi down in their
leans and pay five billions or more IN
If TO the treasury of the United States
70 this year, but barely three cents OF
h eyerN dollar they dig will be spent for
nv any kind of constructive work we
snent 20 millions on war to end wal
- land now our navy is calling for ST.
~ 324.5O this year with an estimate OF
rs s9S2. 800. $4,000 for 1921. The army Is
~ calling for $685. 90, ,S2S.SS this year, the
~ why it sticks for the SS cents doesn1
- appear. Fortifications are calling fol
- 129 millions this year and next. Fen
Of sions call for 215 millions annually. Iht
-. army. the navy and the Pension Bureau
-, usually get what they ask for. Sucf
- things as roads can wait. How can Con
- gress afford to appropriate rs millions
-. for roads when the army. the navy ant
80 lfortifications must has 1,4OO mllilol
a dollars this year!
~ Congress- seems to have forgotten al
ho about the fine promises made the peo
;+b lple when their sons. their property AM
bo their patriotism were conscripted for tn
- world war. We were not to have wa
- anv more. this was to be the last. Ih
&c. fact that it cost us 20 billions plus L
~ billions in loans which we probably WI
never recover, didn't matter so long
there was a liklihood of our getting Wha
Il. we paid for. We asked for no annexa
'no tions and no indeminities. We toush
y and paid for specific thing-treedol
We from militarism. We are at peace
l1' war threatens. There isn't a countr
N' in Europe to-day that could tight al
other war; Japan in Asia couldn't flgf
od; us because Japan has lost the conf
ne dence and support of other Mohgol M
Gu tions and will have her hands full
way tending to the Chinese and horea1
nearer home, If there ever was tin
when hundreds of millions of doiial
could be saved in the direction OF mll
gress will kill schools, roads. forest Sc
CE tary preparedness" it is now. But Co
vice child welfare, public health, voc
ates tional training. employment service +
clamation and every other constructl
thing if necessary to get the last doll
asked for by the militarists.
= BY taking just six cents out OF eve
III dollar it is purposed to spend for t
1ew army and navy this year, Congress COZ
al proyide the rs millions for roads. 3
tne Congress isn't going to do that, for Ere
trlai ident Wilson and Lloyd George ma
l III made the world safe for the mllltarls
get the munition makers, the profiteers.
I oe financiers, the patrioteers and those
arr don't live miles away from railway
oeen who don't have to haul corn, cotton
"eio potatoes over rotten dirt ROADS.
re
ago NnMES