Arizona republican., 1921-03-06
WILL CONSIDER REAL H|GHMAY
 LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON. March 5-(SpeciaD That the next congress will seriously consider the proposed plan of a national system of inter-sta highways is now assured. This action was predicated by the senate's refusal to approve as a rider on the post office appro priations bill the $100,000,000 voted by the house without any restrictions other than now embraced in the federal aid road act which has failed iu Va rious directions to satisfy many of it's original adherents. While the federal money in some states aided materially in accelerating state systems of inter county roads, in other states the rich counties thatcher" the dollars from the national treasury, with the result that the poor counties were still left in the mud.
 Though the organized motorists CO., operated with the state highway Of ficials in urging the federal aid road act, the two groups were not in entire accord in the recent legislative effort, Both were agreed that joint federal and state money should be expended | upon roads of interstate importance. but the highway officials refused to in ! sist upon such provision nor to sup port the Townsend idea of creating 9 commission to lay out a national scheme of main roads connecting the several states.
 What caused some opposition, in and out of congress, to the hundred mil i lions appropriation, was the fear that 1 it's unrestricted adoption would fasten the federal aid method upon the coun- 1 try for an indefinite period One mem l Der of the house didn't hesitate to say that the accord of the senate would do exactly this thing
 Debated upon it's merits, something not possible under suspension of the l rules" those who favor an interstate ' 4Sy-c ,aa fee; I1oIi !, congress will adopt a comprehensive l plan, for the undertaking has the ap proyal of farm, commercial. automobile
 and various other organizations. Ar gument in favor of the appropriation centralized on the plea that 43 legisla lures were in session. and that unless l the federal government supplied addi- tional money at once the road program in many states would be retarded. Information presented to the senate i indicated that on December 31, 1920, only $117, ,000,000 of federal aid money
 remained unallotted, but that by July next this amount would be entirely
 covered by the states. Those opposing dwelt upon the fact that of the s275.-
 GOO. 900 total, nearly $220. 1000, ,o0Q still re- mafned in the United States treasury.
 Nov. 30, 1e2. The facts also disclosed
 that only s47,0oo,o00 had been paid out, although other contracts had been com
 pleted and not paid for.
 Many senators took the stand that as
 long as the bulk of the money still re-
 mained in the treasury, that the road
 building program of the country would
 not be seriously interferred with by de
 laying consideration of good roads until
 the next congress convenes.
 Commenting upon the situation
 chairman George C. Diehl of the A. X
 A. good roads board, thus summarize
 the matter:
 Apparently instead of the states
 waiting to see what congress is going
 to do, congress now proposes to wait
 and see what the states are going Co
 do. especially the IT states which are
 depending largely upon their counties
 to raise money to enable them to CO., operate with the federal government ia
 building roads It is high time thai
 these states which have failed to func- ton as states should wipe out their
 paper highway departments and pro
 tide some real money with which to build real roads, utilizing advantage ousiy whatever aid may come from the federal government, either in the form
 of entire cost and subsequent mainten ance of interstate highways, or on am
 plifying of the present half and hal ! arrangement