Evening star., 1921-02-20

PROGRAM is ASSURED
Action Taken In Congress to Authorize
Distribution of $1OOOOO,OOO Among
the States.

ground that states east OF the Misss-
sippi river and north OF the Ohio and
Potomac rivers pay 81 per cent of the
revenues and therefore are unduly
| taxed to pay for federal aid in road
building in all the states, S. +. Bratt.
superintendent of highways in the
state of Illinois, submitted to the COM
mittees of Congress tabulated statis-
tics showing the relative contribution
based on production of the basic
necessities of life. That tabulation in
cluded minerals, lumber. WOOL poultry
and eggs. dairy products. domestic
animals and agriculture. 1t showed.
| for example. that Iowa supplies Ass
per cent and gets back in federal aid
2.9S; New York pays in sos and gets
back 5.13: Connecticut pays in .35 and
gets back .63: Florida pays in "a and
gets back LIS; Illinois pays in sos and
gets back 4.51; New Jersey pays 40
and gets 1.23, and Kansas pays 3.73
and gets 2.96
Connecticut is one of ten states that
would have funds with which to build
only fifty miles of road il the federal
aid appropriation failed. New Jersey
is one of sixteen states that could
| build only 100 miles.
This was made emergency legtsia-
tion. as explained by Representative
r. Walton Moore of Virginia, MEM
ber of the House roads committee. be-
cause the construction of a great sys-
TEN of good highways is possible only
under some permanent plan express
ing the deliberate purpose of the gov
ernment. 1t is essential that the state
should know whether or not the pres
ent plan is to be continued. In order
to cooperate in the federal plan legis-
lative action is generally required in
the states and a large number of state
legislatures are in session this winter
and will not be in session again until
1923.
Preparing to Push Construction.
Now that conditions are becoming
more normal, labor and materials
more plentiful and transportation
facilities improved. the states are pre-
pairing to push road construction with
great rapidity to relieve local needs.
They are providing funds, employing
engineers. organizing their activities
and contractors are entering the field
for competition. Therefore any mis-
givings as to the policy or action of
the federal government have actually
delayed the work of the states, and
| the official representatives of all ths
states have so assured Congress.
| Regarding the primary and growing
! Importance of better highways
| nothing more directly contributes tt
the prosperity and contentment of tho
entire country. both urban and rural,
| than to furnish better means of travel
and better means of transportation
for the products of the soil. The era
of railroad building has passed and
the time has come when, if traffic is
to move at all, an appreciable part
of ii must move over the highways,
1t is estimated that during the last
| calendar year approximately 35O,000.-
600 tons of farm products and vege-
tables were hauled to market in motor
trucks by the farmers and gardeners
of the United States. During the
war Herbert Hoover demonstrated.
that about SO per cent of the perish
able food products did not reach
market, owing to lack of transporta.
ton.
ApPortiOnment of Fund.
The apportionment of the 100000,
600 of federal aid for the fiscal yeaI
1922 20 the several states on the basis
of population, area and mileage Of
post roads is as follows: Alabama,
81, l04,SS3.5l; Arizona, s1.373,644 4Is;
Arkansas, $1.6S5.l7e.09; California, So
054.e75.51; Colorado, Sl,T55,759.17; Con-
necticut, $613.349.43; Delaware, $I62.-
674.s1; Florida, S1,l47,447 81; Georgia,
s2,6s7, ,150.s6; Idaho, S1,226,o49.93; Ilii-
nois, $4,365, ,o67,9l; Indiana, s2,ssT,-
05321; Iowa, $2.SS1.526.74; Kansas,
$2.S7l, ,2446e; Kentucky. 1881, ,755.43;
Louisiana, $1,362, ,23l.13; Maine. $780,
25O.16; Maryland, 1856, 99S.61; Massa-
chusetts. Sl,472.7SS.s5; Michigan, ST.
S91. .66791; Minnesota. $2,S42OS9.33:
Mississippi, $1,sO7,557.17; Missouri,
$3.3Sl,S99.6o; Montana, $2.006.990.I3;
Nebraska, $2.133,1419S: Nevada, ST..
276.344.43; New Hampshire, s4l4,,
$3.50; New Jersey, S1,lS7,556.45; New
Mexico, S1.59S.467.s5; New York, s4,-
971,SS3.11; North Carolina, S2,279,-
053.S0; North Dakota, $l,536, ,277.S0;
Ohio, $3,706,246.S1; Oklahoma, $780,
47S.S3; Oregon, s1,576,152 .03; Pennsyl-
vania, $4.591. .946.05; Rhode Island,
$233,256.S7: South Carolina, $1,436,-
019.04; South Dakota, SI,5I5,77s.44;
Tennessee. s2,261, 1,913.9O; Texas, S.
SCI, ,59S.46; Utah. s1.129.575.66; Ver-
mont, $450.O77.09: Virginia. $I,977,-
673S3; Washington, sl,444,627.79;
West Virginia, SI,060.152.77; Wiscon-
sin. s2.544.s45.35; Wyoming, s1,233,-
1854. 80,