Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-16
Growth of Federal !.
Aid Road System
in States Since 1916

In recent address before the
American Automobile Association, on
the development Of Federal Aid Road
System, Henry c. Wallace, secretary
Of agriculture, made the following
statement:
I'm designating the routes to be
included in the Federal Aid System
the chief aim of the states and the
Federal agency has been to select
routes which will give the maximum
of local service and at the same time
connect with one another to form
great national highway system. The
states were first asked to certify the
total mileage of road in existence at
the time the act was passed. Seven
per cent of this was the maximum
allowable mileage that could be IN
cluded in the system. The total was
194,262 miles. The states were then
asked to prepare maps of state sys-
TENS proposed by them, locating the
roads by controlling points. These
state systems were carefully review
ed and studied by the department
and some changes were suggested as
being desirable from the national
point of view. Conferences were held
between representatives OF the de-
partment and Of states and groups
of states, and out Of these CONFER
ences came agreement as to the sys-
tens finally decided upon.
Federal aid for road building was
inaugurated by the Federal Aid Road
Act, approved July IL. 1916.
"Since the above date $54O,O00,00O
have been appropriated or authorized
for the fiscal years 1917 to 1928, IN
elusive. OF the above amount $15,-
OOO, 900 is authorized for the fiscal
wear 1925 and will not be available
for expenditure until July l, 1874.
SiXty-five million dollars is authorl-
Zed for the fiscal year beginning July
l of this year, leaving $400,0OO,O00
authorized or appropriated for eX.
penditure up to the current hscal
year.
..Of the $500, 900 900 authorized or
appropriated up to the current fiscal
year S22G,274,214 had been paid to
the states for work completed up to
March 81, of which $160.93S,223 was
paid on projects completed and &C
cepted, and $65.335.991 had been paid
In progress payments for work COM
pleted on projects which were Still
under construction on March 81.
con March 81, 21,63S miles had
been completed at a total cost of
S37S,OS7,S45, and the Federal share
of the cost amounting to $3.50, 93S,223
had been paid to the states
ION the same date 3,413 miles adj
ditional had been completed but they
had not been inspected for final ac-
ceptance. The total cost of these
roads was approximately $51, $780,
900.
ION the same date there we're a.
010 miles under construction and
these roads were reported at the
time as G5 per cent complete in the
aggregate.
"The total mileage completed or
under construction on March 81 was
39,062 miles.
"While the improvement of the
Federal Aid System may proceed
more slowly than some would like
and more slowly than it would under
more favorable economic conditions,
nevertheless. almost before we realize
1t we shall find that we have a Fed
eral road system which will not only
serve local needs. but which will
make it possible for the tourist to
drive from one end of the country
to the other and from one part of
any state to another, in the assur-
ancc of finding good roads the entire
distance"