Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1921-05-27
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the federal government to said state
for the construction of highways"
1t Is believed that this requirement
Will meet the statement of President
Harding when he said that Congress
cannot justify a mere gift from the
federal purse to the several states
to be appropriated among counties
for road betterment."
Penalty for Lack of Maintenance
Maintenance OF roads, once con
atructed, has for years been the
source of more trouble and conten-
tton than any other item OF highway
construction. Roads built by fed
eral aid have been go recent that they
have not had any appreciable chance
to deteriorate II made of hard sur
faced material, but roads long since
built with state and county funds
have in many cases been allowed to
take care of themselves, while the
weight and speed of traffic have
been increasingly augmented.
To meet this very important sit
uation this bill proposes, first, that
the secretary of agriculture shall
not approve any projects in any state
until said state shall provided a
state fund adequate for the main
tenance Of federal aid roads, and by
law shall place said maintenance
work under tho direct control of tho
state highway department" and sec
ond, To maintain rural post roads
under construction under the provi-
sions of this act shall be the duty OF
the states. If at any time the sec
rotary Of agriculture shall find that
any road In any state constructed un-
der the provisions of this act is not
being properly maintained, he shall
give notice of such fact to the high
way department of such state and
within sixty days from the receipt
of said notice, said road has not been
put in proper condition of main
tenance by the state highway depart
ment. then the secretary of agricul-
ture shall thereafter refuse to ap-
prove any project for road construc-
ton in said state until such road has
been put in condition of proper
maintenance, and il within ninety
days from the receipt of said notice
the road has not been put lin "a
proper condition of maintenance,
then the secretary of agriculture in
addition to such refusal to approve
any further project for road con-
struction in said state, shall proceed
Immediately to have such road put
In condition of proper maintenance
and charge the costs thereof against
the federal funds allotted to such
state. Upon the reimbursement by
the state of the amount expended by
the federal government for such
maintenance work, said amount shall
be paid into the United States treas
ury to the credit of miscellaneous
receipts, and tho secretary of agri.
culture shall then approve further
projects for said state"
When it is appreciated that a re-
fund by the state goes back to the
general treasury of the federal gov
eminent and is lost forever to that
state, it is believed that his pro-
vision will give adequate protection
to the funds expended and give a
patrol system of maintenance so es-
sential to the traffic demands of the
hour.
Public Lands Protected
Uncle Sam Is still the owner of
large tracts of land in eleven West
ern states. In Nevada he holds the
title to over 80 per cent OF the ACRE
age OF that state. He pays no taxes
and yet he wants roads and states
no longer live unto themselves.
To meet the situation IN these
states 1t is suggested that the gov
eminent, while not making any
change in the method OF distribu-
tton of the public funds, shall pay q
Just ratio OF the cost of a highway
in the proportion that the lands be
owns or controls is to the total land
in such state.
How Shall the Government Function
There has been much discussion
for several years as to how and un.
der what name the federal govern.
ment should function in the matter
of cooperation with the states II
highway construction.
Roads as a public method Of
transportation after the railroads
Z importance. The social and eceno
mic life of a farmer was circum
gcrfbed by. the guilty OF his OK team
or horses to transport the crops OF
take his family to the market Of
social center. Naturally from thil
viewpoint, the department of agri
culture took over the duties of tn.
federal government in SO far as 1
was deemed wise and proper to as
sist the states and territories. To
day the expenditures under the blu
reau of roads is more each year thar
the total expenditure OF all the res
of the department combined. Thi
has been brought about by the us
of motive power upon the highwa,
and the use OF the roads to such al
extent that county lines have lon
since disappeared and state line
have also In many instances been for
gotten.
Whether because of the growing
importance OF this work. this bu
reau should be- changed to a depart
ment, is of no vital concern to thos
who have, because of their officia
positions in the several states, bee
the ones to come in contact with an
know of the ability of this bureau {
function creditably when measure
with any other body created by Cor