Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-01-26
Letter Explains Federal Road
Aid.

eral aid for building ROADS, accord
ing to; letter received by the state
highway commission from Thomas
II. Macdonald, chief of the bureau
of public roads. Mr.. Macdonald tells
of the delays and why so much pre-
caution must be taken before vouch-
ers are approved. The letter from
Mr. Macdonald to Engineer Moore
field follows:
s.With reference to the difficult
ties encountered and the delays in
Cured in connection with making
federal payments on number OF
4 vouchers recently submitted on South
Carolina projects, l wish to state that
the same difficulty as encountered In
other states where funds to meet the
states portion of the cost are pro-
yided by the counties, or other local
subdivisions, and county repositories
are named to receive the federal pay
ments.
Each voucher, with the state
ments and supporting papers, must be
in such shape as to make complete
record which will meet the require
ment of the comptroller of the treas
ury and the Office of the auditor for
Che state and other departments.
Before voucher is passed for pay
ment by this bureau, it is necessary
shat we have the record in such
shape that it will pass the treasury
department Officials, for the reason
that all vouchers are given final
audit in the treasury department,
and, if exceptions are taken to any
items, such items are disallowed and
unless satisfactory explanation can
then be made there will be deducted
from the states allotment of federal
aid sufficient amount to cover the
disallowed items. This bureau en-
deavors to avoid any such disallow-
ances being made by the treasury de-
partment. The principal trouble is to
get sufficient data from the counties
TO complete the record in connection
with the vouchers in such forms as
will meet the treasury's require
ments.
'sIn this connection, it is suggested
that this situation with reference to
payments might be remedied to a
large extent if the state legislature
would create revolving fund of
about 100000 or such other amount
as might be determined to be ade-
quate, in the state treasury and au-
4horize the state treasurer to receive
and disburse the federal funds paid
TO the state, it would enable the state
highway department to make prompt
payment to counties for work done
therein and would thus avoid the in
convenience heretofore caused to
counties by the delay incident to
making payments on vouchers sub
mitted. The creation of. such a re-
volving fund would really cost the
s5ate nothing in the end, as federal
funds paid to the state would be con-
:stantly reimbursing the revolving
fund for payments made therefrom,
and in the final analysis there would
remain in the fund total of $780,
600, or thesothe amount originally
appropriated for its creation. The
amount of 100000 is arrived at
from the fact that on November 80,
1920, there were under construction
federal aid projects for which the
estimated cost was S3,049,8O0 and
On which S1,Os6,917 federal aid was
allotted. On that date projects had
been completed on which S4S6,S30
federal aid had been allotted and the
value of the work done on projects
under construction, involved addi-
tional federal aid Elm the amount of
-SA34,766, making total of S921,-
sob federal MD due to the states for
work done up to that date. The total
amount of federal aid paid to the
state up to December 81, 1920, was
S629,563 so that there still remains
due to tie state about $292,033,
which amount can not be paid until
vouchers in such form;as will pass the
treasury officials are submitted and
can be passed upon by this bureau.
The difference IN the above figures