Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-18

n
wv 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 ap-
preparation bill, provisions of which include
three items aggregating $3.50, 100000 to be
expended under the state-participation plan
in the construction of high-grade roads with
in the period indicated. In addition to this,
approximately $1O,OOO,00O will be devoted
to building Of roads in the national forests
in twenty-three states.
These new authorizations are expected to
result in the construction of more than 25,-
900 miles Of the federal-aid roads. Previous
appropriations have provided for $4,000
miles which are completed, in course OF
building or projected and approved, which
will make grand total of 1900 miles, or
nearly 40 per cent of the $4,000 miles con-
templated in the system of roads now being
outlined-a mileage almost as great as that
of the first class railroads of the country.
With the rapid increase in the use Of mo-
tor vehicles of all kinds it is tax upon the
imagination to estimate just what this will
mean by way of solution Of the transpor-
tation problem of the nation. It is conceiv-
able however, that if this development con-
tinues the time will come when railroad
strike will be anything but the menace 1t Is
now regarded. Food and fuel supplies OF the
cities will not be cut off, industry and COM
merce parayZed, movement Of mails tied up
and the farmer barred from his markets by
a breakdown of rail transportation II every
state is criss-crossed with a network of fine
highways that make the truck real COM
petitor of the freight train.
No longer will there be such thing as
rural isolation. The tendency toward the
congestion of the population in large centers
may be checked. The back to the farm
movement will be given 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 adjust
ments of society that have been 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 approxi1 tely two and one-half
million miles of public rural roads in the
United States. Of total less than Il per
cent, or about 299, 900 miles, are improved
with any sort Of surfacing, while the mile
age of permanent, wei built roads Of the kind
ment furnishes part of the money seems al
most negligible by -1p2rison.
The average cost of construction Of the
federal-aid roads as been SIT, 12O per mile
The expense Of the work has decreased ma
terially within the last year and the new ap-
preparation bill reduces the maximum parti-
cipation on the part of II government from
$4,000 to $16,250 per mile for the present
fiscal year and $4,000 per milo thereafter.
OF the $19O,OO0,OO0 authorized, $4,000
900 is available for the fiscal year which be-
gan with this month, while $65, 0G" 900 and
$4,000, 900, respectively, will be expended
during each of the two succeeding fiscal
years. Previous federal appropriations for
road building have aggregated $3.50, 100000,
of which about $287,5C COO have been
spent. To this the several states have added
expenditures of approximately $380,O00,000,
making grand total of 1857, 100000 as the
outlay to date for modern highways.
The $5O,OOO,O00 fc the current year have
been apportioned to the various states as
fol1ows Alabama $aS35S14 c5 AToDns
O1,641,3 99; Colorado, 1894, 117;I Connecti-
cut, $32O,599 Delaware, $243,750; Florida,
$591,217; Georgia, $1,331,972; Idaho, $685.
691; Illinois, $2.1S4.1S7; Indiana, $1,50o55,-
Kentuck~ e044,786; Louisiana, $664,66O;
Maine $463,44O; Maryland, $427,O86;
Massachusetts; $7SO,784; Michigan; 1,499.-
6SS; Minnesota. $1,415,7S1; Mississippi,
$1,O31 ,257; Nebraska, ST. Ups; Nevada,
$685., 1924; New Hampshire, $243,75O; New
Jersey, $628,581; New Mexico, $793,216;
New York, $2,464,299; North Carolina, ST.
190,556; North Dakota, SITS, ATS; Ohi5, ST.
SS2,OOa; Oklahoma, $1.16S,266; Oregon,
Sr8S,443; Pennsylvania, $2,265,969; Rhode
Island, $243,750; Sorth Carolina, $707,492;
South Dakota, $8C2,7O7; Tennessee, 81, O96,-
461; Texas, $2,95O,115; Utah, $566,27S;
Vermont, $243,:O' Virginia, $971,219;
9Or; Wisconsin, $1,263,211; Wyoming,
$623,O78.
OF the ten millions that are to be spent
in building forest roads the largest allotment
goes to Oregon, where $2,270,000 have been
set aside for the building Of 210 miles of
roads while $1,246,197 will go to California
for only fifty 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 con-
meet with and extend the system Of federal