New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
SIS, 900, Is
Released for
Nations Roads
Signing of Federal Aid Bill
Will Speed Building and
Relieve Unemployment,
Senator Townsend Says

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12,---Presidcnt
Harding's signing of the highway bill
releases s75,ooo,ooo for Federal aid of
!. roads. Many states have been awaiting
the appropriation Of Federal funds be-
! Sore launching On their highway pro-
saass. Immediate building is expect
ed to start in many quarters, with
consequent Improvement in employ
! ment conditions.
Senator Charles e. Townsend has
been leading the campaign for the pas
sage of this act, which incorporates
most of the principles for which he
. has been fighting. Primarily it de-
mands that portion of the govern
n.ent funds be set aside for upkeep so
that the original investment will not
. be allowed to deteriorate. Provision
also is made for allocating percent
ways. Special appropriations are
made for forest roads and trails. The
Senator is chairman of the Senate
Committee on Postcffices and Post
Roads.
1T has always been my position"
Senator Townsend says in commenting
on the bill, that the principle of Fed
eral participation in the construction
of certain roads should be accepted as
automatic. In my original bill, which
provided for a Federal Highway Com
mission to administer Federal appro-
priations and deal With highway prob
lens. l provided that Federal money
should be expended only upon inter
state roads. With the completion of
the connecting backbone system the
Federal money then could have been
used to construct the ribs branching
cut through the counties.
At Discretion of State
'The law recently enacted, while
providing that Federal money shall be
expended only upon system consist
ing of per cent of the total road
mileage within the state, nevertheless
restricts three-sevenths OF that sys-
tenn to roads interstate in character,
and with which must connect or cor
relate the remaining four-sevenths Of
the system, consisting of secondary
or jntercounty roads. However, go per
cent of the Federal aid allotted to each
state must be expended upon the inter-
state roads in the state system, but the
entire allotment of Federal money to
any state may be expended upon this
type Of road at the discretion of the
particular State Highway Department.
"The fact that in the future all
Federal appropriations must be ex-
pended under the direct control of the
State Highway Departments, with the
approval of the Secretary of ,Agri-
culture, seems to effectually eliminate
othe possibility OF local politics enter
sing into road problems. I have always
sobjected to the taxing of people of one
state for local or political benefits of
! another. 1t will no longer be possible
Gin certain states for rich counties to
snatch practically all of the Federal aid
allotted, thus depriving the poorer
sprovements. Enforced maintenance,
: which in the past has been such cry
sing need, is now provided for with
respect to all roads upon which Federal
money has been expended.
! THE labor necessary in road con-
! struction and maintenance must have
its present effect in alleviating to some
extent the unemployment situation, and
with a connected system of highways,
which we are hopeful will be con-
structed, much of the terror in the
event Of railroad paralysis will have
+ been removed.
Expects Great Strides
IL am confident that with the CO.
operation between the Bureau of Pub
lie Roads and the several State High
way Departm which is so essential,
great strides in highway construction
will be made. There is ample power in
the law to ultimately secure the re-
suits which the friends of good roads
have so long striven for. regard this
steps looking toward internal improve
ment ever taken bv the CONGRESS-"