The Topeka state journal., 1921-03-19
ITO AID SOLDIERS FOR GOOD ROADS
Womans Auxiliary Plans Kansas Plans System Of HARD
gram for Veterans. Surfaced Highways.
Bring Sunshine to Disabled Refusal of State Aid VIII Not
Ex-Service Men. Retard Work.
FORM STATE COMMITTEE WILL GET FEDERAL AID
First Step VIII Be Survey OF sSO0O000 Allotted by
Conditions Government
Hospital Care, Legislature Made Big Cut ~
Report Says. Appropriations
Refusal of State Aid VIII Not
Retard Work.
GET FEDERAL AID
Total of ss,OOO,O0o Allotted by
Government
Legislature Made Big Cut -
Appropriations.

Kansas. without state aid for road
construction, may yet have q unified
system of hard-surfhced highways.
The 1921 legislature rejected the
idea of state aid and adopted the
county-unit plan whereby automooiie
license funds are to go back TO the
counties in which collected for use st
discretion of the county commission
ers. Despite the apparent belief or the
legislature to the contrary. this does
not necessarily mean that there VIII
not be a unified system OF highways
built under supervision OF the state,
according to w. G. Markham, secretary
of the state highway commission.
For Continuous Highways.
The highway commission. thru Is
control of the distribution OF federai
aid, can dictate the location OF the
principal hard-surfaced roads. The
federal aid plum of so per cent OF the
total construction cost, up to a maxi
mum of $4,000 a mile, is one which
the counties cannot afford to over
look, it is declared, The highway
commission, in giving its approval TO
contracts in the past, has construed
the federal law to mean that aid shall
be granted only for continuous high
ways from county to county. The
commission will continue this policy,
Markham announces.
The continued power or the high-
way commission depends on passage
by congress of the proposed additional
federal aid appropriation of 100000
900 yearly for four years. Kansas
would receive approximately $4,000
900 yearly. The bill passed the house
by an overwhelming vote in the last
session. Seven of the eight Kansas
representatives voted for IT. In the
senate, the Appropriation as a rider to
the postal bill, in the concluding days
of the session. failed by a few votes to
obtain the required two-thirds ma
jority. Mr.. Markham, who repre-
sented all the states lobbying for the
bill at Washington, has strong hopes
it will pass the new congress.
$s,OO0,OO0 to Kansas.
Kansas has already been allotted
nearly sS,000,09O in federal aid on
sixty-six projects, the total estimated
,, cost of which is s26,73s,744.07. To
date this state has actually received
more than $1,100.000.
1t is no secret in state house circles
that the state highway commission
exists almost solely by virtue. of the
| federal aid law. This law provides
that all construction work in each
| state unt er the act must be done under
! direct supervision of a state highway
department. The Kansas commission
was created four years ago. The last
/, two sessions of the legislature have
| openly endeavored TO restrict the pow
ers of the commission as much as
possible, preferring to retain super
vision of road work in the counties.
The 1921 session cut down the appro-
priations below those of two years ago,
despite the increases urgently re-
quested.