The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1921-04-29
FAVORS
TOWNSEND'S PLAN


of national aid for roads and the prob
ability of his success In doing SO. As
stated before, his plan is to confne
federal aid to two roads In each State
t--one north and south and the other
east and west, comprising complete
national system. This would elimi-
nate all chance for aid on any road in
the Big Sandy Valley. as we have Of
ten said. because this valley is not so
situated geographically that such a
national system would follow it.
For the benefit of any who may
doubt the danger that confronts us
from this source we publish below a
portion of long article on the SUBJ
ject which appeared In the Cincinnati
Times Star OF last Sunday morning.
II is signed by a special Washington
correspondent of that newspaper:
The Townsend Road Bill.
Washington, April 23.-Govermental
policy with regard to encouragement
of road building is now in painful
reformatory stage.
President Harding himself recently
called attention to the evils OF existing
practices and followed up with dis
cussion OF the subject in his first mes
sage to the American Congress. Pres
ident Harding objects to the appro-
priation Of money which is expended
and extended over an area so large
as to make II ineffective, and under
conditions calculated to prdlce the
largest possible amount of waste and
extravaganza Ever since Congress
went into the road.aid business. hun
dreds If millions have been appre prlt;- :
eG. the States contributing a CORE :
ponding amount, much. of which has
gone toward the development of coun-
try roads from which the nation as a
whole derived but little benefit.
At the last session Of Congress ef-
fort was made to load a rider on one
of the appropriation bills setting aside
another hundred million dollars for
road construction. without the reser-
vation of any safeguards whatsoever.
This In spite of the fact that much of
the money allotted the year before
had not yet been expended Senator
Townsend OF Michigan was the chief
instrument Of defeat for the proposal
In question.
Senator Townsend will introduce a
bill on the subject which. it is believed
win have Administration support,
His purpose is 10 make appropria-
tion solely for one object, to-wit: the
construction and maintenance of great
trunk highways.
Mr.. Townsend,s bill will provide for
a larger measure OF Federal control
In the work than has heretofore been
exercised.
The Administration is known to view
his efforts favorably. Until commit
tee consideration OF the bin shall have
been begun 1t will not be apparent just
to what limit the Townsend proposal
is backed by the Administration.
State Engineers View.
From the Courier Journal of Tues
day we take the following, which is a
portion of a lengthy article on the
same subject:
Frankfort, KY, April 25.--A COM
plete breakdown in the projected Fed
eral and highway system in Kentucky
involving a ten years programme of
construction and S40,000,000 expendi-
ture. is feared by Joe S. Boggs. State
Highway Engineer, IL the Townsend
Federal Highway Commission Act sup
plants the present system of extend
ing aid to the States.
In that event construction of the
State highway system, as laid out by
the 1920 General Assembly, viii be-
come strictly State construction pro-
ject. which will require immediate fl
The Court of Appeals has applied
the Constitutional limitation on State
Indebtedness to advances made by
counties to the Highway Department,
holding that such advances are debts
of the Commonwealth within the
meaning of the Constitution and must
not total more than 100000 beyond
the estimated current years reve-
nues.
After that decision the state High
way Commission declined to accept
any more advances, but is offering to
accept for maintenance roads con-
structed with county funds
Under the present plan of construc-
tion of Federal aid highways, the Fed
eral Government contributes half the
cost of construction, and the State and
counties the other half. The Govern
ment has available and appropriated to
designated projects s5,300,000.
Two unexpected setbacks caused re-
vision of tentative plans the last year.
The first one came from Washington.
when the last Congress failed to ap-
any more money for Fed
eral aid. The Bureau of Highways
it was certainty. The House
passed the measure, but Senator Town
send of the Post Roads Committee,
author of bill to lay out system of
Federal built and maintained high
ways, killed ii in the Senate.
The next setback was the construc-
ton of the law, permitting counties to
advance money to the State for the
building Of the State highway sys-
tenn, which money was to have been
paid back to the counties when the
project, to which the money was APP
piled, was completed.
Some 800 miles of construction has
been started on the Federal aid sys-
tenn, but II the Townsend Bill passes,
this mileage is all that will get Fed
eral aid. and then II will be up to the
General Assembly to devise some
method Of financing the remainder ana
the other State system pTojects.
According TO the stipu ktions with