The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-08
NEW HIGHWAY PROPOSAL

NEW f1lOE1W Al NOE OOAA
 A difficulty confronting the state highway commission is the more rapid accumulation of state than federal road funds. If state funds are spent only as federal funds become avail able, the highway program will be long drawn out and progress will be hin- dered and delayed, Therefore the commission is properly considering some alternative proposal looking 70 continuous construction. The law does not require that federal and state funds be spent simultaneously, and the commission seeks public opin- ion regarding the tentative plan of going ahead with preliminary grading and construction in the various coun- ties, with the intention of applying the paving or hard surfacing later as fed eral funds accumulate. Ultimately it is hoped that every state dollar will be covered by federal dollar.
 Tentative proposal to turn the roads thus constructed over to the several counties for maintenance, however, s for the commission to delegate to an inexperienced agency the most vital element in highway administration, namely, upkeep. If most counties do not maintain their own roads built. with their own money, it is not easy to believe that they would maintain roads built with state funds, unless they were under specific con- tract to perform such maintenance in q specific manner under the general direction of the state highway com mission. The highway commission is under direct responsibility to the peo- pie of Alabama for the administration of the highway funds and the high ways thus constructed. The highway commission cannot delegate that re- sponsibility in such manner as to lose the ultimate authority. For high way to be built and not maintained is practically equivalent to throwing the money into hole.
 If it is deemed feasible to continue preliminary construction in the coun- ties, then the highway commission is in duty bound to secure and establish regular and adequate maintenance by the most reliable guarantees. Without such guarantees it would be far bet ter for the commission to construct no roads at all. Leaving the matter of maintenance to the "good faith'' of the counties is not enough, for, no matter how good their faith, faith without work does not maintain high ways.
 The highway commission should not lose sight of the fact that connected highway system, and not series of disunited units is the result de- manded by the people of Alabama, and that any unit. which is not prop erly maintained only widens the gap between units that are properly main- tained. The highway program must proceed, but all its details must be kept within the authority of the con- mission in order that no unit may suffer. It should be remembered also that soft or even graded roads are by far the most expensive. The upkeep will amount to more than five hundred dollars per mile per year, if properly attended to. A grade A paved road would cost only about twelve thousand dollars mile more than a clay or graveled road. Public welfare de- mands permanence and low cost of upkeep in highways.
 There seems to be an impression on the part of the governor and some officials that through trunk hign- ways would serve outsiders and not the people of Alabama. Nothing could be more erroneous. Trunk high ways serve the home people better than local roads. Let the commission not act hastily in this matter. Let it first find out what other states are doing in order that it may avoid error.