The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-01-01
BIGGEST ROADS
PROGRAM TO BE
PUT OVER 70
Nation Plans to Extend Improvement
of Highways More This Year
Than Ever Before; Some De-
tails and Figures Given.

Washington, d. c., Jan. 1.-The
greatest road building program in the
history of the country ih now under
way and viii extend throughout the
year 1920 according to David f. Hous-
ton, secretary of agriculture in whose
| departmtnt is he fedtral good roads
bureau.
Secretary Houston says the road
work has been facilitated and much
impetus given the good roads move
ment by the amendments TO the fed
eral aid road act These amend
ments were adopted during the Sixty
fifth congress, which was under De
mocratic control
Discussing the nationwide cam
paign for better roads, which are
made possible by federal aid in con
junction with the states, Secretary
Houston says:
ut is interesting to note that up
to July /, 1919, state bond issues ag
gregating $224,SOO,000 had been au
thorized and approved by popular
vote and that provision has been
made for voting next year on pro
posals for the issuance of additional
state road bonds to the extent of
approximately $314,000,O00 During
the present and the @gt fiscal year
there Will be made available for road
Improvement at least one billion dol
lars. Certainly few laws, if any have
produced greater results, either in
terms Of expenditure for a good pur.
pose or in terms of helpful legisla-
tion and mlchintry, than the fedtral
aid road act
ut seems clear, in the circum-
stances, that the principal limiting
factors in the 1920 program will be
those of rail transportation for, ana
production Of, suitable road material,
the contractors organizations avail.
able, and the labor supply"
Secretary Houston says the 1919
program for road building was great.
or than any preceding year and was
so great, in fact, that many of the
states must postpone until 1920 the
expenditure of federal funds simply
because it is necessary to develop
experienced contracting and engineer.
! ing organizations from the stagnant
conditions brought about by the war
Under the terms of the federal
road act the apportionment to state
for any one fiscal year remains avail
able for expenditure until the enI Of
the succeeding year. 1t is estimated
| at the department of agriculture that
the funds already provided and al
loted will be sufficient to finance
next year a program more than four
times greater than any that has been
undertaken.
Amendments to the federal road act
which the Sixty-fifth congress ap
proved are explained, in brief, to in
crease from $4,000 to $4,000 per
mile the amount of federal funds that
may be expended by one road and tc
broaden considerably the definition OF
what constitutes a rural post road.
Under the original wording of the
law fedtral funds could be Expended
only on roads upon which the Unit
ed States mails now are or may be
hereafter transported This feature
was the most troublesome to the
highway departments of the severa
states and caused delays because il
required the determination in eacl
instance of the exact post route stat
us of the road.
Under the amendment very few, i
any, important roads will be debarreC
from receiving federal aid if other re
quirements of the law are met. Thi!
amendment provides that aid may b,
extended to "any public road ma
jor portion of whcih is now used, o
can be used, or forms a connecting
link not to exceed ten miles in lengtl
of any road or roads now or here
after used for the transportation O
the United States mails"