Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1920-01-22
RETRENCHNENT BY
u. S. MAY HOLD Up
WORK ON HIGHWAY.
ASSERTS W.. HALL
Public Asked to Insist That
Federal Funds be Not With
drawn from Road Building
Danger That Program of I'm
provement Cannot Continue
Unless Pressure Is Brought

| WHICH means many miles OF permanent
standard highway in Idaho county,
through cooperation of the federal gov
eminent, is likely to be held up, be-
cause of retrenchment by congress in
the matter of appropriations This
is the word sent out by the depart
ment of public works at Boise, of
which William j. Hall is commission
err.
COMMUNICATION FROM HALL
"This department is in receipt of
advices from Washington, says a
communication from Mr. Hall, ''to the
effect that the slogan of all party
leaders in both house and senate is
economy and retrenehment, and that
it will require concentrated effort
on the part of those interested in the
continuance and extension of road
work to obtain favorable action. I'm
doubtedly a sincere effort to inaugu-
rate a policy of economy and retrench-
ment will meet with hearty and wide
spread approval, but most persons will
agree that there is plenty of room for
the exercise of such policy without
cutting off appropriations which are
vital to the highway improvement of
eff additional federal aid appropri-
ations are not made at this time, it
will mean that many comprehensive
construction programs must be
abandoned, and that the people who
have voted for bond issues with the
expectations of receiving cooperative
federal funds will become discouraged,
and that the cooperative spirit
90 r
struction which has grown up in
the past few years will die of
hamilton.
''The principle of federal aid in
highway construction has been demon
strated to be sound, and that it is
popular and has had the effect of
encouraging road building, is evidenc-
ed by the fact that for each dollar of
federal funds made available for CO.
operative work, it is estimated that
more than six dollars state, county,
and highway district funds have been
raised for the same purpose.
ROAD WORK MAY FALL
eff federal aid is not continued
there is grave danger that the road
programs now formulated will receive
setback from which it will require
years to recover. Nearly every com
munity in Idaho has such a program
and has provided funds to apply on its
construction, in whole or in part, dur
ing the next three or four years. 1t
follows, therefore, that every commu-
nifty in idaho is interested in the con-
tinuance and extension of federal aid.
"In order to demonstrate that the
sentiment of the people of the coun-
try is overwhelmingly in favor of
prompt and liberal action, it is re-
quested that every board of county
commissioners, every board of high
way district commissioners, every
city council, every chamber of com
merce, or commercial club, in fact
every public or semi-public body, pass
resolutions asking congress for feder-
al aid appropriations; and that cop
les of such resolutions be forwarded
Immediately to Burton L. French, Ad-
olson T. Smith, w. E. Borah, and J.
F. Nugent, and to the clerks of house
of representatives and U. S. senate.
Letters from private citizens would
also be of value. -