The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-11-14
MAY
LOSE $567,l@
FEDERAL MONEY
State Been Backward In
Getting National
Funds


August was finally agreed to by
both houses of Congress and sent
to the President last week for his
approval, the State of Vermont
will get an increase of $28,875 in
its allotment of Federal funds over
that provided for in the original
bill, the Green Mountain common
wealth coming in for special bene-
fit by reason of the clause that no
State shall receive less than one
half of one per cent Of each years
Government allotment. Incident
ally it may be added that New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, and
Delaware are similarly fortunate.
Out of the grand total of seven
ty-five million dollars of Govern
ment money made available for
this worthy purpose by next Janu-
airy Qess a deduction of two anil
one-half per cent for the admins
tration of the act and for the
carrying on of necessary highway
research and investigational stud
ies) Vermont's share would, by
the method of apportionment de-
vised by the act, be some $685., $50.
but the special provision referred
to increases the figure to 1866, 625.,
About two and a half years are
allowed from the date of the acts
approval by the President in which
this sum may be utilized by the
state when matched on $3.50
basis by an equal appropriation
of States funds for road work.
The combined moneys available
for this purpose from both the
Federal and State treasures will
thus be $31,250 between now and
June 80, 1924.
In this connection it is highly
pertinent to note, as herein point
ed out to Vermonters by the
Board of Public Roads Depart
ment of Agriculture, that the state
has thus far shown itself rather
backward in availing itself of Fed
eral funds for road work, and that
unless new plans involving an out
lays.of approximately 81, 134,390 in
combined State and Federal ap-
preparations as formulated by the
State Highway Board and are ac-
tually under agreement between
that body and the Secretary of Ag-
riculture by June 80, 1922, one
half of that sum, or $567, 1875, will
beAlost to the state as that portion
OF previous Federal attotments of
which the state has not taken adj
vantage.
This is the present situation
with respect to Vermont highway
work, as indicated by the latest
figures in the Departments files,
which are down to September 30,
1921: Under the two previous APP
preparations (Which are not in
volved at all in the new act) Yer
mont's share of Federal money
for road construction and mainten-
ance was $1,242, 103.73. Projects
involving an expenditure of S112,-,
991 in Federal funds have been
completed although according to
the Boards data the highways thus
constructed are but ten and three
tenths miles-in length.
As of September 80, the state
has at present under construction
some AZ 1-2 miles of new highway,
reported to be sixty-three per cent
completed. The Federal funds
required for this project will foot
up to $561,918.
The. new act stresses in parti-
cular two features, namely, the
"direct control of the State High
way Department" in the expendi-
ture of this public money; and the
maintenance" of the states sys-
tenn of highways already con-
structed, by which is meant "the
constant making of needed repairs
to preserve smooth-surfaced
highway" By the term "construc-
ton" is meant "the supervising,
inspecting, actual building, and all
expenses Incidental to the con-
struction of a highway, except 10
eating, surveying, mapping, AND
costs of rights of way"
Among the chief changes in the
present bill as compared with the
law under which nrevious dis
bursements of Government funds
for road work have been made is
the important provision that the
highways to be improved under
the act must be parts of a state
highway system to be selected by
the State Highway Department.
The new act provides as follows
in this connection:
"That in approving projects to
receive Federal aid under the pro-
visions of this act the Secretary of
Agriculture shall give preference
to such projects as will expedite
the completion of an adequate and
connected system of highways in
terstate in character.
Before any projects are APP
proved in any State such State,
through its State Highway De-
partment, shall select or designate
a system of highways not to ex-
eeed seven per centum of the to-
tai highway mileage of such State
as shown by the records of the
State Highway Department at the
time of the passage of this act"
According to the Board of Pub
lie Roads in Washington, the
State of Vermont has total
highway mileage of 14,249, one
seventh of which is 997.43 which
of the states highway system to
be designated by the Vermont
authorities.
The act goes on further to slip
ulate: "Highwavs which may re-
ceive Federal aid shall be divided
:u&a 49, .Io.nz. 40 - 6 ,,,h;oh ehaIl