Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-09-14
ROAD BUILDING
HAVING A BOOM
HOW FEDERAL COOPERATION Ia
CAUSING VAST AMOUNT OF
HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.
BIG SUMS ARE BEING SPENT
Governments Share in This immense
Undertaking Is Greater Than the
Cost of the Panama canaLsome
Interesting Figures.
BY JAMES p. HoRNAnAx

siS andsHd Cana-Some
Interesting Figures.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.
WaShington.-Road operations m
der the federal aid road act fins far
initiated aggregate In length nine
tlmes the distance from New York TO
San francisco, according to Thomas III.
Macdonald, chief of the bureau of
public roads, department of agricul-
ture. The federal governments share
ID this undertaking is greater than the
cost OF the Panama canal. The partici-
patton OF the national government in
hlghWay improvement marked depar-
ture from a policy which had been fol-
lowed for nearly a century. Federal
cooperation with the states on approx
lmately $3.50" basis has counted
more than any other factor, says Mr..
Macdonald, in initiating highway con-
struction that is being carried on I'M
der adequate supervisions in accord
with a. program co-ordinating local,
state and national needs.
Sixty per cent of the total allotment
of federal funds which has been APP
proved to date will be spent for roads
of such durable types as bituminous
concrete, Portland cement concrete and
built, will increase by 1900 miles the
total of Il, 400 miles of roads Of this
class which existed in the United
States before the federal aid road law
was passed. But these figures by no
means represent the total mileage af-
fected.
Vast Fund Available This Year.
In 1915 the total expenditure for
roads and bridges by all the states and
local governments was $267 900, 900,
while this year the estimated funds
available for main road construction
are nearly three times that amount, or
1898, OOO,O In all, federal funds to
the amount of $266, $50, 900 have been
apportioned among As states without a
suggestion of favoritism-so adequate
are the provisions for a just appor-
tiOnment.
One of the early and most far-reach-
ing results directly attributable to the
adoption of the federal aid program
was the creation of adequate state
highway departments in II states
which previously had either no state
department, or departments INSULT
GENTLY equipped. Within one year
after the passage of the federal aid
road act more constructive state Ligh-
way 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 on
the construction of federal aid roads
under the supervision of engineers of
the state department has resulted in
placing a much larger proportion of
road work under skilled direction. In
1915. the year before the federal aid
act was passed. only 30 per cent of the
money for roads and bridges built in
the United States was expended under
the supervision of state highway de-
partments. This year these depart
ments will exercise control over fully
so per cent of the large sums that will
be spent for road building.
Waterway Projects to Fore.
An increasing demand that con-
gress shall give serious consideration
to the matter of improved trans
portation facilities is noted. A
large number of candidates for seats
in the house of representatives are this
year promising that, if elected, they
will do what they can to bring about
better facilities for handling the prod
ucts of the country. Activity along
the following lines may be expected
when the new congress meets:
/. An effort to commit this govern
ment to Great Lakes and ocean high
way project.
.. Legislation paving the way for a
ship canal across northern Indiana and
northern Ohio, connecting Lake Mich
igan with Lake Erie.
8. Provision for an inland water
route along the entire length of the
Atlantic coast.
4. F'uther steps toward utilizing the
navigabIe rivers of the country, par
ticularly the Mississippi and the Ohio.
). Legislation relating to the in
creased use of the interstate highways
of the country by mOtOrtrucks.
Various local organizations arc now
giving these several branches of the
transportation subject consideration.
Fourteen states. for instance, have
Joined in forming what they call the
Great Lakes Tidewater association.
This group of states lies between Penn
sylvania on the east and Idaho on the
west. The purpose of this organiza-
ton is to work for system of deep
inland waterways from the Great
Lakes to the Atlantic ocean.
Consent of Canada Needed.
This project. if carried out would
be joint activity since the United
States could not go ahead with 1t
without the consent of Canada. Up
to this time Canada has not shown
| keen interest in the 'oiect for the
reason, il is asserted. that the Cana
dian government is disposed to prefer
| the Hudson bay route to the ocean,
and that government realizes that If
the Great Lakes route should be de-