The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-22
TO BUILD ROADS
Kansas Has Spent Ten Millions
on Permanent Highways.
Next Years Bill Probably Reach
Twenty Millions.
REPORT MADE BY NV WATSON
Tells of Problems in Speech Be-
fore Rotary Club.
Four Hundred Miles of Road To
Be Completed This Year.
REPORT MADE BY NV WATSON

Kansas has already built ten million
dollars worth OF permanent highways
and has more than five million dollars
worth of such roads under construc-
ton. Next year the states bill for
road Misunderstanding county road
and bridge projects-will be practical
ly twenty million dollars.
In a speech this week before the
Rotary club, NJ. w. Watson, state
highway engineer, told of the prob
lens facing the state in carrying out
it's program for linking the $500 miles
of designated important connecting
highways The close of the present
year will see about 400 miles of this
road permanently constructed-prac-
tically all of the work completed this
year.
There are many bits of trouble
ahead in the road building game, tho'
One of them confronts the Victory
highway from Kansas City to SAUNA
In Pottawatomie, Wabaunsee and Rley
counties building of the road is held
I'd because members of the county
boards are opposed to the projects ana
support for the big highway has peeh
denied Some of the joys and sorrows
of the state highway commission anu
road building enthusiasts were ouI-
lined by Watson in his talk He spoke
in part as follows:
.',ro date and under federal aid we have
completed 319 miles of road and have un-
der contract uncompleted, 22S. Inc r9aus
completed are divided among the Eari3 ~
types as follows: earth. %; Drlck, 20
concrete, 112; macadam, "A; graVel, ~;
The work under contract and uncompleted
crete, 60: macadam, %; gravel, So. From
all appearances at the close OF this con
struction season an additional IOO nHes
T. ~ a NJ \ y
DroximateIy of 400 miles of roads that
have been completed mostly during tne
1921 season. The state highway depart
ment has received an appropriation IroIl
the federal government aid amounting 70
81, S95, 3O9.9T and has placed under contrary =
amounting an GEmRs'f to s5s8s 9iS.S6 TheTe has ac
tually been paid to the counties federal ald
amounting to S2,221, 235. 40. .-os
Wondered to the federal government which
vouchers are now in the hands OF I ne
bureau of public works and have not as
yet been paid to the counties S1,9oo,Ooyl:
This represents rs n total value of work
completed including federal aid and local
funds Of $1,000, S54.4S and total OF WORK
nnder contract not completed for both
federal and local funds $j,2OO'466.3j.
On Definite System.
1.-THE highway commission in the begin
ming adopted the policy that the federal
aid flndse must be spent on a definite ana
restricted system of highways compr1s-
ing about 6,6OO miles, which system would
furnish a network of main thorofares con-
Meeting every county in the state. The Tar-
sightedness of the Kansas commission IN
adopting this policy has been proven by
the feet that congress has now agreed
upon an amendment to the federal aid law
which restricts the use Of federal aid FUNDS
to not over a Z per cent system OF h1gh-
ways and not more than three-S eYenthS
must be primarily of interstate highways
and four-sevenths secOndartly OF inter-
county highways. Upon the primary sys-
TEN each county will be obliged TO apply
TO per cent of oil federal funds that are
appropriated. The bill now pending Will
give to Kansas little over $2,O0O,OOO ad-
ditiouaI federal aid. The commission has
been following the policy during the past
season that aid would be granted only to
such projects as would be built at once.
This state has approximately E4.DOO
miles Of public highway and 5000 miles
of county road. By the establishments of
a 7,OOO-mile system Of primary state nigh
ways we could have u complete network
Of road over the state that would handle
at least so per cent of the traffic tonnage
hauled on our highways. a system OF THIS
kind could be operated like railroad sys-
TEN by division and sections holding all
employees responsible to n central depart
ment and taking the construction and up
keep out of local politics. This system
maintained by the state could be uniform.
Kansas has been prevented from having
a system like this by prejudice and the
ranting of few politicians who talk for
home consumption and are defeating the
best interests Of the state.