The Winslow mail., 1921-05-20

tee OF this organization of the State
Highway Officials spent several days
perfecting bill which has been
under discussion for some time
After a personal consultation with
President Harding, Secretary Wal
lace, Congressman DOwell ranking
member Of the Roads Committee of
the House, and Senator Townsend,
Chairman of the Post Roads Com
mittee of the Senate, they have sub
nitted to the Congress a bill which
they believe not only meets the pre-
looking and will make operative a
ystem not only to market the crops
nut to augment the transportation
facilities of interstate commerce and
aid in the national defense.
Accepted as q fixed policy Presi-
dent Hardings statement in his
message that: :*"With the principle
of Federal participation acceptably
established, probably never to be
abandoned, it is important to exert
Federal influence in developing CON-
prehensive plans looking to the pro-
notion OF commerce and apply our
expenditures in the surest way to
guarantee a public return for mon
y expended they propose that in
approving projects to receive Fed
aral aid the Secretary of Agricul-
ture shall give preference to such
projects as will eXpidite the COM
3letion of an adequate system of
roads interstate in character Be-
fore any projects are approved, each
No
partment shall select or designate
not to exceed seven per cent of the
otal road milage of said State as
shown by the records of the State
Highway Department at the time of
the passage of this Act. Upon this
system all Fedora Aid apportion-
nents shall be expended Roads
which may receive Federal Aid shall
be divided into two classes, one of
which shall be known as primary or
interstate roads shall not exceed
5hree sevenths of the total mileage
which may receive Federal Aid, and
The other of which shall be known
as secondary or inter-county roads
and shall consist of the remainder
of the mileage which may receive
Federal aid. The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall have authority to ap-
prove in whole in part the sys-
TENS as designated or to require
notifications or revisions thereof.
Provided, that the States shall sub
nit to the Secretary of Agriculture,
for his approval, any of the propos-
ed revision5 of the designated sys-
TENS of roads provided for Not less
than so ier cent of all federal aid
allotted to any State shall be ex-
pended upon the primary or inter
state roads until provision has been
made for the improvement of the en-
tire system Of such roads. When
ever provision has been made by, or
on behalf of any State for the COM
pletiOn and maintenance of a system
of intestate and intercounty roads
equal to seven per cent of the total
mileage Of such State, said State,
through it's State Highway Depart
ment, by and with the approval of
the Secretary Of Agriculture, is
hereby authorized to add to the mile
age Of the interstate and intercoun-
ty system as funds become ayaila-
bic for the construction and main
tenance of such additional mileage"
With this section added to the pre-
sent law the State Highway Officials
believe that the position taken by
the President will be met where he
saps: Congress ought to prescribe
conditions to Federal appropriations
which will necessitate a consistent
program Of uniformity which will
justify the Federal outlay
Much of the criticism that has
been heaped upon the States in their
road building program would give
the idea that Federal funds had been
doled out promiscuously, when in
reality this condition, if it has as
sumed the position of a condition,
obtains in a very few states and then
only because the Statesg as such,
we're dependent upon the counties to
raise he funds necessary to coop
crate with the Federal appropria-
ton
To meet this situation it is pro-
posed that "any State desiring to
avail itself of the benefits of this
Act, shall, not later than two years
after the adjournment of the first
regular session of the State legisla-
ture from and after the passage and
approval of this Act, provide State
funds each year to at least equal
the amount apportioned for such
year by 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 iustifv mere |
gift from the Federal purse to the
several States to be prorated among
counties for road betterment"
Maintenance of roads, once con-
structed, has for years been the
souce of more trouble and conten-
tion than any other item of highway |
construction. Roads built by Fed |
eral Aid have b cen SO recent that |
they have not had any appreciable |
chance to deteriorate if made of
hard surfaced material, but roads
long since built with State and |