Milford chronicle., 1925-11-20
STATES CLOSING
THEIR lST DECADE In
REAL ROAD BUILDING
COnstitutiOnaIity OF Federal Aid
On Highways Is COnclusively
Proven, Say Officials.

Forty-eight states in conjunction
with the Bureau of Public Roads
Department of Agriculture are
rounding out their first decade oil
modern road building with gratify-
ing results. according to a state
ment issued by the American AS
sociation of State Highway OIhclaIs
The interstate system, however OH
which state and Federal govern
ments have been working jointly,
is not more than half complete, ana
suggestions of curtailment OF the
general program for the purpose OF
economy have served to arouse pup
lie interest in pushing on toward
completion of the remaining hall.
In some quarters the question OF
oonstitutiOnality of the present
Federal Aid road program mas
again been raised, which highway
officials hold is irrelevent in view
of the exhaustive studies that were
made before the program was put
into effect.
In response to points raised
highway officials in their statement
call public attention to the tact
that there were those in the begin
ming of our national life who had
visions of interstate highways as
nation developers, for as early as
1903 the Cumberland Pike was
planned by Congress. Jetterson'
Hamilton, Madison, Clay, Calhoun
and Webster all maintained a con-
stitutional authority, as well as the
national need for Federal activities
in highway improvements.
But a short time after the con-
struction of the Cumberland PIKE
it was turned over to the states,
which likewise became weary ana
in turn passed it on to toll COM
panies. And then for half a CEN
tury the much vaunted local con-
trol' was given a most excellent
''try-out". The result of all OF
which was that the only free
public highways for years were
those which were impossible dur
ing the unreasonable weather.
1T was not until 1891 that the
states began a real program OF
of road construction and New Jer-
sey has the honor of being the hrst
state to create a state highway de-
partment. Two years afterwards
the Federal government appro-
priated $4,000 to establish the Ot-
flee of Road Inquiry and for eight
wears it kept on inquiring. AT the
end of that time the name OF TINS
Office was changed to the office OF
Public Roads. The constant growth
of state highway departments nat
urally gave a larger vision OF the
highway requirements and in l9lZ
the Congress created a commission
to investigate the problem as to
whether the Federal government
had a real duty in the matter.
For three years this committee
made a thorough investigation and
finally gave a favorable report. In
1916 the Congress made its first
real appropriation for highways.
Recent discussions on the floor OF
Congress as well as certain public
addresses and published articles
would lead some to believe that the
Congress had not made a thorough
investigation of this subject. The
personnel of the Congress has
changed greatly since the report OF
the 1915 committee. There are
now but four of this committee
two Senators and two members OF
the House-in government service,
who were members of that commit
tee iof ten. And so, it is necessary
to recall some things which it was
supposed had been thoroughly es-
tahlished in the public mind"