Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-07
HIGHWAYS OF NATION
SHOW GREAT PROGRESS
Improvement Declared to Be
Best i'll History of
Country.
Is GENERA,
Counties and states. ns We'll nv Cow
eminent Show More Iutcrest In
nond Constructfon--Coinp 1900
Milcs During Yenr.
tBy Associated Press.


WASHINGTON. Dec. G.-Grcatcr
progress WAS made OH tho nations
highways during tho last year than
IN any similar period In the history
OF tho country. and thora is now APP
parent real PUBLIC -7iation Of
tho Importance of r -1inIng the
roads that are built. Thomas II. Mac
Dohhid. chief or the Bureau Of Pub
TIC Roads. stated in his annual re-
port to the Secretary OF Agriculture
mado public tonight.
y industrial and financial conditions
woro better during the year" said
Mr. Macdonald. land as consc-
nuence remarkable progrcsg has been
mado In highway construction under
tho states and counties as well as
under the Joint control OF tho GOV
eminent and States Ten thousand
miles have hS,n added to the Fed
era! aid roads alone, and doubtless
more than an equal mileage has been
constructed without Federal assist.
ancc. More significant. however, than
inc progress in the physical work
OF road construction. OF any other
accomplishments Of the year. arc two
ncfclppmcnts, the results OF which
arc not Immediately apparent. aud
which cannot DO measured In miles
and dollars and ccntA but which
promise results for tho future uu-
epualcd by any Developments OF the
quarter century OF highway activity.
Highway Act Helpful.
FIRST of these is the passage OF
tho Federal highway act. with It's
plan for II connected system of roads
Tor tho whole nation: the second is
The extraordinary activity IN eco
monte and physical research In con-
n"ctiOn with the financing. location.
management ad desig cf the high-
ways. For more than two decades
there has been i'm p-ogrrss a slow
bu, certain Development OF highway
conjunction from q casual activity
IN the hands Of uuskiIl"d loca! ut-
fcials without plan or program, other
ihan To maintain an established mini.
mum OF facility In highway trans
iprtatIDn, toward n reasoned indus
'};ry Ia the hands of state and nutioma,
officials. supplemented by Intelligent
local aid, tn. aim OF which ~ to pro-
vide complete and economical high
way transport service throughout the
nation. In this DEVELOPMENT tine
adoption Of the Federal 81 highway
act aud the significant r,.iearchcs Of
the past year constitute the greatest
forward steps that have ever been
made
Finish $50 Miles In Ycnr.
During lic year T.ic5 m!lcs OF rnad
projects were completed and 1878
miles were under construction. which
were estimated az % per cent com
,nlete. Federal "a earned hy tho
states on complete o.d uncomrleted
projects amoun.- >laI.tCp.l3o. Of
which NGG.cii.552 i--,z actually been
paid Tho roads brought 10 compile
ton averaged over 200 miles .or c"<a.
state. Texas had the largest com
plctcd mileage. a33. while Arkansas.
Georgia Iowa, Minnesota and North
Carolina each completed more than
500 miles. Montana and Wisconsin,
400 miles. and Louisiana. Maryland.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island made
very substantial increases Texas
received the largest payment OF Fed
crai aid. amounting to s5,eij,0iG and
earned nearly S.,5oG.060 more. Other
large payments were made TO i'it-
nois. Iowa. ohio ana Pennsylvania.
each refa!vlus FROM SA.o0V.o0o TO
1000. 900 during the year
The increasing number OF accidents
at highway grade CROSSINGS has hc-
come matter OF grave concern. says
sir. Macdonald, and has led TO the
adoption Il, :. policy looking to tho
elimination Of such dangerous cross
inRs wherever practicable on Fedora
aid highways The policy has met
with generous support from the
. states. and an agreement has been
reached by which all existing cross
!ngs ON the Fisiaarl aid highways
snail be classified for priority for
elimination and Improvement carried
out as rapidly as possible.