The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-01-22
PROVISION FOR
CONTINUING PLAN
Congress Should Not Disturb
Principles Embodied in Act Of
1916, Says Secretary

Immediate consideration should be !
given by congress to plans for CN- !
tending the federal aid road building /
progI9tm. tn" period for which by the /
original act. as amended, terminates I
with the close of the present fiscal ,
year. declared the secretary of agri- ,
| culture in his annual report TO the
| president. I'm order that there may
| bc no halting in the work il is hoped,
| he said. that congress viii. at it's
| next session, provid" additional funds,
| to bc expended under the terms Ot
| existing legislation with certain modi-
fcations, at the rate Of $100,o00,000 Il
year for "A period of five years, be-
ginning with July /, 1921.
Future Legislation, the secretary
sadi, should not disturb the prin-
| Ciplcs embodied in the act of 1916,
which have been tried out and found
so be SO satisfactory, and only those
changes should be made which expert
cnce has clearly shown TO be dcsir-
able. He said:
The principal notifications in
mind relate to the problem confront
ing the western states in highway
work because of the existence in
many Of them Of large areas of pub
lie lands, and to the maintenance of
federal aid roads by the state high.
way agencies rather than by the
counties. The association of state
highway officials, a It's meeting in
December, 1919, unanimously ap-
proved the continuance Of the pres
ent plan of federal participation in
| hull Il l..
notifications
The fact that the present appro-
priatiOn may not bc entirely cXpend-
ed by June 80, 1921, does NOT les
SEN the necessity Of Immediate ac-
don. Both the federal and state high
way departments should know. as
promptly as possible, the program
for the next five years in order that
the work may be adequately plan
ned ana the engineering and admin
'istrative details carefully executed
torty OF the state legislatures will bc
necessary for them tu make the re-
quisite provision for meeting future
federal apportiOnmcntS From every
, standpoint therefore. it is essential
that legislation for the continuance
r of the prog;lm now under way be
promptly enacted.
Forest Roads.
"Provision should be made also for
the continued building on an adequate
/ scale, OF roads within or adjacent to
the national forests. The forest road
, systems arc very closely related to
those Of The states. and the major
forest projects form important links
IN essential state and interstate high
ways. There are approximately l5,-
000 miles of roads Within the forests
which connect with state and county
i@hWaY systems. the building OF
. forest roads. therefore. is IN import
amt parr IF the general road develop
, ment plan of the west. both within
| and without the forest areas. I'm ad-
f dition. the transportation OF forest
products. the protection and admin
| stration Cf the forests themselves.
and their utilization for recreational
purposes are all dependent upon the
construction and maintenance of ser-
ViCcablc roads"
In view Of the abnormal conditions
which have prevailed since 1916, the
report stated the progress that has
been made in placing large high
way improvement program under way
is surprisingly good. In the three
years 1917, 1918, and 1919, there
We're approved G77 projects. calling
for the construction of $3.50 miles of
road and involving Il total cost of
S56.ilS.G73, Of which ihe federal
share was $23.931,6IS. During the
fiscal year 1920, 1870 projects sub
mittcd by the states. involving the
Improvement Of 16.670 miles and a
total allotment of $109, 9,S30,366 Of
federal funds, were approved. At
the end of the year ! $40 miles Of
federal aid roads on which $l03.-
925, ,O94 of cdcral funds had been al
lottcl, were under consideration and
in various stages of completion. Will"
! l,b17 miles had been entirely COM
4 plot"d. Preliminary engineering in
\ vcstigations have ben made on A.
o03 miles of forest roads and con-
sG'uction has been completed, or is in
progress, on 1900 miles.
construction Difficult
The work OF actual construction has
suffered from several causes. which
varied in intensity in the different
states. They include: CD The diff
NcultY Of securing transportation ia.
cilitics for road materials. During
the season Of 1920 the assignment Of
Opcn-tOp cars for transporting cOai
resulted in tNinG up ana slowing. down
many of the highway projects under
construction. (2) The lack of ma
toria!S, particularly cement steel. and
culVcrt pipe. In general. the short
supply of sand. gravel. crushed stone,
and other similar materials has been
due To transportation difficulties raih-
CT than TO a shortage OF production.
! t3) The lack OF available contractors
anil labor This condition was not
general, however, and was partially
caused hy the unWillnEncss OF con-
TRACTORS to undertake new contracts
rat hcr than TO an actual lack OF ;;ur-