Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-27
FEDERAL AID
FOR HIGHWAYS
+. IS DEFENDED
State Good Roads Associa-
ton Replies To County
Commissioners

A reply has been received from the
North Dakota State Good Roads asso-
citation to the criticism of federal aid
in road building .and h associations
proposed amendment to the state con-
stitution, as voiced by county commits
sioners of Grand Forks. Pembina,
Walsh and Cavalier counties at a joint
meeting here a short time ago.
The federal aid acts are a part of
the laws of the land, says the asSocia-
ton defense today. "They constitute
a fact and a condition. Popular opin-
ion favors federal aid and state aid in
road improvement. Consequently, if a
state desires to avail itself of federal
aid, it must comply with the require
ments of the law. Failing to do SO will
result in money forfeited being used
to build roads in other-or perhaps in
ar adjoining or rival state-instead of
in North Dakota which is in urgent
need of better roads.
The constitutional amendment pro-
posed by the State Good Roads associ-
alton is a necessity otherwise the state
cannot comply with the present feder-
al aid road act or take full advantage
of it. And after Nov. 8, 1924-unless
the constitution is so amended-tha
state will be unable to secure or pre-
fit by federal aid thereafter.
THE proposed initiative measures
provide the necessary machinery to
AXE complete advantage of the fed
eral aid act, the constitutional amend
ment serving to make these measures
possible"
Points Out Advantages
THE association points out that no
bond issue is contemplated, that real
estate taxes will not be increased, and
that not only will the counties have
received the state highway projects al
ready constructed Cor thai will be
c~onstructed) without expense to them
but the state will have taken over the
construction and maintenance of the
most costly to build and maintain
highways in the state-not to exceed
the state. Counties and townships
will consequently be relieved of this
heavy burden and their entire road
funds can De used for the improve
ment and care of county roads lead
ing into the state highways, and town
ship roads connecting UP with both.
There ha been and is no promise
Of proper highway Improvement by
the counties and township alone. State
and state maintenance is the most GER
tain and tangible solution of our prin-
cipal highway problems
The associations answer declares
that Walsh county, whose commits
sioners attacked federal aid have
since asked for the construction of a
14-mile state and federal aid project
between Park River and Grafton.
Answering the charge Of extrava-
gance of federal aid work. it is declar-
ed that federal aid for highway i'm
provement is a proved experiment
throughout the country. Regarding
criticism of engineering it declares
that. all federal requirements must be
complied with in building a road, al
though the engineering is done by the
state highway commission. In the
case Of Grand Forks county, it de.
clares, all engineering was done by
that county and that any criticism BY
commissioners of that county is self.
criticism.
Regarding extravaganza it assert.
that North Dakota and Nebraska
build the cheapest type Of federal aid
roads in the country.