The Bismarck tribune., 1922-01-17
E. W.. James, of Government
Bureau Of Public Roads, Out.
lines Ideas Of Department
NEW FEATURES OF LAW

The federal government is putting
it's house in order as far as federal
aid for the construction OF roads is
concerned, q. w. James OF Washing
ton, d. c., chief, division of design Of
the bureau Of public roads, told the
members of the North Dakota Good
Roads association at their annual con-
vention here today. Under the recent
federal aid act, passed last November
a reasonably limited mileage Of road
must be built first; that along with 1t
a secondary group may be built but
that this system, which shall reach
every state, shall become completed
whole before prOmiscuOus unsystem-
attic construction will be tolerated.
"The apportonment to the state Of
North Dakota, under this new act, for
the fiscal year 1922 is SILICA, 4,714.42,"
convention. This new law introduces
several new conditions into the &C.
operative relations between the states
and the federal government. They are
very interesting and very significant;
q. The new law limits the eXpen-
1diture of federal aid to a system of
roads previously selected and desig-
mated by the states in agreement with
the secretary of agriculture.
g. 1t provides that where funds
are not raised directly by the states
but are furnished by the counties.
townships or other subdivisions, these
funds shall nevertheless be placed un.
der direct control Of the state high
way department.
3. 1t sets up much more severe
conditions with respect to the main
tenance Of federaL highways built in
the. state and provides for the use Of
federal aid in maintaining such
roads as are not satisfactorily main
tanned by the state Funds so used
are, however, then lost to the state.
The state must refund the amount
spent and no new projects are to be
until the refund has been
made
"4. The law provides for a different J
pro rata share of the United States
government in certain western states.
Features of New Act
"The most significant feature of the !
act is the restriction which for the |
first time has been placed on the dis
tribution Of federal aid within the
state. The act provides that each !
state SHALL together with the Secre- !
tary OF Agriculture and acting with his !
approval, lay out a system of federal |
aid highways on which federal aid is |
to be expended. This system shall !
not more than seven per |
cent of the public road mileage Of
each state and it may comprize con-
less. This system is diyid-
ed into two parts, called in the act,
primary highways and secondary
highways The primary subdivision
consists of not to exceed 81 of the
roads on which federal aid may be eX-
pended, that is to say not more than
three per cent. \ The remainder CT |
such system as may be laid out will |
comprize the secondary highways
Mr. James then went into the diff
cuties many of the states would have
with the restriction OF seven per cent i
and continued:
In 1917 when it became necessary
for the legislature Of North Dakota,
in order to secure the first apportien-
nent CT federal aid, to assent to the
original act and create an adequate
highway department, your law Of
March 5, 1917, provided for the map.
ping Of a system Of state highways.
In laying out this system OF roads a
total Of about 5000 miles was select
ed. AS your total road mileage is ap-
$4,000 miles, you are al
lowed by seven per cent system ap-
1850 miles. 1t would
appear, therefore, that the present
state highway system of North Dakota
represents, at least with respect to-
mileage, about what you may expect
under the new federal highway act as
the the federal aMssalishWway gs.s system OF the
Defines Maintenance
Continuing Mr.. James predicted that
the new federal aid act would remain
in force fer number Of years as it
represented crystallzing Of many
projects and discussed the defects
found in the act of 1916. In again
coming to the more recent act, he
stressed the maintenance provision,
saying it probably would have been
impossible to get President Harding's
signature to an act which did not
provide for this.
The present act defines mainten-
ance in its broadcast sense" he con-
tinued, as ''the constant making of
needed repairs to preserve a smooth