Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-02
Thursday, June 2, 1921.
WHY UNCLE SAM SHOULD HELP

WHY UNCLE SAM SHOULD HELP
why Should the Federal Govern
rnent Aid?" is the subject very in
structively discussed in the Highway
News Digest, May 81. by E. J. Adams,
former member of the Oregon State
Highway Commission. He recognizes
that ''the public highway, as trans
portation system is a public enter
prise for general public use" 1t has
been estimated that the average haul
the country over is about ten miles
and the cost 33 cents per mile ovet
the unimproved and 16 cents over thf
improved roads, so that If all roads
were improved there would be saw
ing of seventeen hundred million
dollars and Mr.. Adams concludes,
there is no compensation for all this
waste.
The total highway mileage in this
country is computed at two and a
half million miles. of which tenth,
or $4,000 miles, are the most import
ant state roads. the backbone of the
highway transportation system and
now absorb a large part of the money
used on the highways and cost the
most per mile to construct. especi-
ally so now that the heavy" truck has
hn nf hn n
improved roads he thinks may well
be termed the mud tax" He dwells
on the advantages accruing from the
improvement of the roads, all of
which are apparent but which are not
always carefully considered.
There are" he says, five main
reasons why the Federal Government
should extend aid to the states in
building the few but very costly
miles of heavy traffic, important and
properly designated interstate high
ways" These he enumerates as fol-
lows:
"UD Because these roads should
be built of adequate strength and
width to carry the ever increasing
heavy traffic prevailing and antici-
pated, near and between the large
centers of population.
(2) Because these roads should
connect at. state lines and there
must be a directing power to bring
this about. The Federal Government
is that power, but without authority
unless it is granted by Congress, and
then may be ignored by the states
unless assistance is extended upon
condition these roads so connect
"(3) The cost of building these
few miles of the system is SO great
if they are built right. that many
states are forced to choose between
building the interstate road as they
should be. and neglecting other i'm
portant roads for lack of funds; or
building them cheaply, and Of a tenn
porary character only to see them go
to pieces and the investment lose;
or not building them at ALL
With Federal cooperation and aid
the States cheerfully match the Gov
eminent. the roads are built sub
stantial and are durable. and the
states are able to build the other
needed and connecting roads also.
90 These we'll built roads serve
also as an example for States and
Counties to build substantial which
In the end means economy.
90 Because Federal aid extend
ed stimulates State and County act
ivity in building modern highways as
evidenced by the activity following
the enactment of the Fedora! Aid Act
of 1916"
In summing up his conclusions he
adds: "If we could Immediately Law
down 100000 miles of public road
at a cost of $500, OoO, 900, borrowing
the money to do it with at five per
cent. the s1,7OO.ooo,ooO saved to the
producers Of farm products in the
one item of reduced cost Of moving
their annual crops to market would
pay off the debt. principal and inter-
est, in less than ten years"