The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-18
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington. d. @.
MORE MILLIONS FOR ROADS.


/ three years the United States will have
system of highways superior to that
| of any other country in the world
This is assured by the new postoffice
appropriation bill. provisions of which
include three items aggregating $780,
| 600, 900 to be expended under the state
] participation plan in the construction
of high-grade roads within the period
indicated. In addition to this, approx
imately $10.OO0.00O will be devoted 10
building of roads in the national
forests in % states.
These new authorizations are ex-
pected to result in the construction of
more than $4,000 miles of the federal
aid roads. Previous appropriations
have provided for 46. 900, miles which
are completed, in course of building
or projected and approved. which will
make a. grand total of 1900. miles,
or nearly 40 per cent of the 10000
roads now being outlined mileage
almost as great as that of the first
class railroads Of the country.
With the rapid increase in the use
OF motor vehicles of all kinds it is a
tax upon the Imagination to estimate
just what this will mean by way of a
solution of the transportation problem
of the nation. 1t is conceivable, how
ever. that if this development con-
tinues the time will come when rail-
menace it is now regarded. Food and
fuel supplies of the cities will not be
cut off, industry and commerce para
lyzed, movement of mails tied up and
the farmer barred from his markets
by a breakdown of rail transportation
if every state is crisis with a
network of fine highways that make
the truck a real competitor of the
freight train
No longer will there be such a thing
a. oil fan6nnNU
toward the congestion of the popula-
ton in large centers may be checked.
The back to the farm movement will
be given a real impetus Life will be
made easier and more enjoyable for
many millions. and relief may be
found for strains and stresses in the
economic adjustments of society that
have heen growing more serious in
recent years.
Wide Field for the work.
What might be done in this line of
work is apparent when it is stated
that there are at present approx
mately two and one-half million miles,
of public rural roads in the United
States. OF this total less than IL per
cent, or about $4,000 miles, are i'm
proved with any sort of surfacing,
while the mileage of permanent. we'll
built roads of the kind that is being
constructed where the government
furnishes part of the money seems al
IuOSl nSSuSlDlG Dy comparisons.
The average cost of constrUc elton OF
the federal-aid roads has been SIT, 120
per mile. The expense of the work
mas decreased materially within the
last year and the new appropriation
bill reduces the maximum participa-
ton on the part of the government
from 100000 to $16,250 per mile for
the present fiscal year and 900
per mile thereafter.
OF the $19O,0OO,oOo authorized.
&c a for fha
year which began with this month.
while $65, 10000 and $4,000, 900. re-
spectively, will be expended during
each of the two succeeding fiscal
lions for road building have aggre-
gated $3.50. 100000, of which about
$2S7,500, 900 have been spent. To this
the several states have added expendi- |
lures of approximately $SS0,000,00o, !
making a grand total of 1857, 500,0 600 |
as the outlay to date for modern |
The $5o,ooO,ooo for the current i
year have been apportioned to the |
various states as follows: Alabama,
sas., $s36,o95; California, s1,641, 800; |
SS94,117; Connecticut, |
1920. 5s9; Delaware. $243,750; Florida, |
$5e1, PIT; Georgia, $1,331,97 Idaho, |
$625,691; Illinois, $2,164,1S7; Indiana, |
81. s05. s04; Town, $1.4O1,915; Kansas,
Louisiana, $6s4.660; Maine, $s43.44O;
s427,0S6; Massa chusetts, |
S73O.7s4; Michigan, s1.499,68S; Min
271: Missouri, $1.632, 0s6; Montana.
81 ,O31, 257; Nebraska, s1,054,126; Ne |
vada, s635.624; New Hampshire, |
$234.750; New Jersey, $62S,5S1i New |
Mexico. s7s8,216; New York. $2,4G4.
North Dakota, $776,476; Ohio, $1,SS2.-
0O3; Oklahoma, S1.16S,266: Oregon,
$7SS.443; Pennsylvania, 81, 265,969;
Rhode Island. s24S.55e; South s Caro-
707; Tennessee, s1.096,461; Texas,
So, s50,115; Utah. s566.27S: Vermont,
$243,75O; Virginia. s971,21S; Wash
ington, $735, SOC; West Virginia, 1884,
pos; Wisconsin, $1,26S,211; Wyoming.
s623,07
OF the ten millions that are to be
spent in building forest roads the larg-
est allotment goes to oregon, where
building of 210 miles of roads, while
s1.246.197 will go to California for
only SO miles that will be extremely
difficult of construction. Virtually
all of these roads will fit into state
and county systems and therefore in
most cases will connect with and ex-
tend the system of federaid-aid high
ways covering the entire country.
States Must Maintain Roads.
Federal-aid roads much be main
-ained by the several states. and if any
Of them fail in this obligation. all gov
funds for new projects may
be withheld untIl such deIinquencies
Are made good All the states are re-
luired to maintain adequate highway
and funds to supplement
The money from the federal treasury
must be placed under the direct con-
troll of these departments. The type
Of surface constructed must be ade-
Iuate for the-traffic anticipated, with
reasonable grades. curves and other
All federal money must be
expended on a connected system of
constituting not more than
per cent of the total mileage in each
state and divided into primary or in
erstate roads and secondary or inter
county roads Elimination of the
,rnh1nr,n ne r-aiIrca a era d crnSSirnns is