Evening star., 1920-06-02
SUBURBAN ROADS
REPAIR MAY HALT
F0RPART Of JUNE

Should the third deficiency bill pass
Congress this week without the item
of $4,000 for repairs to suburban
roads, the District may have to go
through the last two weeks. of June
without funds for this much needed
work.
The $4,000 was omitted from the
bill as reported by the House appro-
priations committee, and the only
hope of getting it now lies in the pos
sibility of having it put back while
the bill is up for consideration on the
floor of the House or in the Senate.
Officials of the engineer department
estimate that the $4,000 deficiency
appropriation granted by Congress
last month will carry the suburban
road gangs up to about June Is.
Since this deficiency was made
available the men working under L.
R. Grabill, superintendent of county
roads. have made noticeable progress
in patching the ruts in the main high
ways. If the additional $4,000 is not
allowed, however. the task of repair
ing the winter damage to the roads
may be held up from the middle of
June until the beginning of the new
fiscal year. July l.
Disastrous to Road Work.
Failure of the two houses of Con-
gress to agree on the District ap-
on Saturday would be even more dis
astrous to the road work.
While a resolution continuing last
years appropriations would make it
possible to continue repair work, the
appropriations of the past year proved
more Inadequate during the. coming
year. The fact that two deficiency
items. amounting to $4,000 had to
be asked for this spring demonstrat-
ed the inadequateness of the last ap-
preparation for road work.
If the District bill fails Of passage
none of the new construction work on
Connecticut avenue. Bladensburg road
and Bowen road can be undertaken
under a continuing appropriation.
'I am astonished that the House ap-
preparations committee would leave out
the $4,000 in the general deficiency
bill for the repair of the roads in the
District" said Conrad Syme, chairman
of the legislative board of the Ameri-
can Automobile Association. today.
Needed for Road Repair.
This amount and more. is most
urgently needed for the immediate re-
pair of the roads, and the committee
must surely be aware OF this fact The
good roads conference of the District
of Columbia, representing practically
all civic organizations and trade bodies
in Washington, has brought this mat
ter to the attention of the Commission
ers. and so much publicity has been
given 1t that it seems Incredible that
the committee has refused to take cog
nizance Of this crying need.
'It does not mean that the confer
ence is asking for the repair of the
roads for pleasure purposes, but with
the present condition of shipping by
rail the big business houses.rely to a
large extent on the roads.
Immediate Action Planned.
Immediate action will be taken by
the good roads conference on the
omission of the appropriation. under
the leadership of Chairman Judge
Martin A. Knapp Judge knapp
has authorized William Ulman. presi-
dent Of the National Capital Division
of the A A. A. to appoint a small
committee to appear before the ap-
propriations committees Of Congress
to lay before it the situation first hand
The committee will consist Of one
representative of each organization
represented on the good roads con-
ference, and an immediate hearing
will be asked.