Great Falls tribune., 1922-02-18
The HQski,1 Letter .
Bv FREDERICK
j. HASKEN
ROAD BUILDING A BIG INDUSTRY

the creation Of highway department
in all states as a condition of the
allotment Of federal aid. Seventeen
states created highway departments
as the result Of that act, and many
others were strengthened and given
larger funds.
The 1922 program Of the bureau OF
public roads calls for construction
work in all of the 48 states. Under
the system, where the state agrees on
a project and to the type OF highway
to be built, the federal government
spends dollar for dollar with the state.
Some of the states, such as New York,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and ILL.,
inois. while taking federal aid on some
projects, independently construct large
stretches Of highway.
This rapidly growing industry not
only will furnish stable employment
for hundreds Of thousands of men
each wear, but in addition is creating
demand for young men OF technical
training.
eve need about 1000 trained young
engineers year in the state highways
departm ents and in this bureau" says
III. s. Fairbank, senior highway engl-
neer Of the bureau. There Will be
positions open each year for fully L.
900 properly trained young men, and
in order to give them the proper ad-
ditional specialized training and to
improve its character in the technical
schools and colleges, there was form
ed in 1920 committee to develop
courses to fit engineers for road work.
1t is gathering and giving to the tech
nical schools and colleges the lnfor-
nation that is acquired by the prac-
tical road building agencies.
Results Shown by Figures
To be exact, 1880 miles of fed
eral aid roads were completed during
1921. involving federal money to the
amount Of $94, ,O57, ,OS9. and total
expenditure of $231 .963, $50. These
figures represent 1896 miles of road
in projects wholly completed and $3.50
miles, the equivalent Of work done on
projects which are not completed. Sev-
enty-fiye hundred miles were complet-
ed after the first of July. These are
the statistics of federal aid only, the
bureau SAYS, and doubled they will
approximate the whole amount OF new
work done in the United States dur
ing the year.
According to the bureau, there was
grand total of 5000, ,OO0, 600 spent on
highway construction and repair. IN
the United States in 1921 by the fed
eral government and the states. An
estimate of the derivation of this sum
shows that 4S percent of the total
expenditure was derived from local
bonds and county, township, and DIS
trict taxes, appropriations and assess
ments. Thirty three percent was de-
rived from state and federal sources,
and only 10 percent was derived from
the taxation of motor vehicles. " the
S42O, 100000 which it is estimated was
expended for construction, the 1oca!
subdivisions raised more than one half
and motor vehicles were charged with
but percent. ~.
On January /. the bureau OF public
roads had available SETTLES for
work on the 1922 program, and up TO
February 16 states had advised the
bureau that they planned to spend
from S1,OO0O0O to S1s,OU,OOO for
new highways this year.
The country is divided into Is en-
eineering districts by the bureau OF
public roads, each district being IN
charge of an engineer. Headquarters
are in Washington, and the force mere
now numbers 750 persons.