Milford chronicle., 1925-12-18
HIGHWAY OFFICIALS
OPPOSE REDUCTION
In FEDERAL SYSTEM
Lessening OF Main Mileage In
States Teemed Unfair To Many
Communities.

To prevent national loss through
delayed construction of the Federal
Aid highway system on which state
and federal governments are now
working jointly, an authorization
for the appropriation of S8O,OOO,OOO
to cover the fiscal year of 1928, is
urged upon the Congress which has
Just convened by the American AS
sociation of State Highway O1cials.
A resolution to this effect was pass
ed at the annual meeting of highway
officials held in Detroit recently. 1t
will be necessary, these officials de-
clare. to have an authorization made
by the present Congress in order
that highway departments may SO
plan their construction as to best
utilize appropriations when they
shall become available.
A resolution also was adopted op-
posing any reduction in the Federal
Aid system as being unfair to many
communities in the various states.
The appropriations now authorized
by Congress for the purpose OF car
rying out the provisions OF the Fed
eral Aid act do not extend beyond
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1927,
and it is to prevent a stoppage IN
road building after that period that
forehanded action is urged upon the
present Congress. To do otherwise,
highway officials declare, will result
in prolonging the completion OF
nationwide system of modern high
ways, at the same time preventing
the people from enjoying the full
benefits of stretches of road already
built because of uncompleted sec
tions in the system. -
In connection with the SSO,OOO,0OO
authorization desired for use in 1928,
state highway officials also ask for
S8,OOO,OO0 for the construction OF
forest roads. In support of these
requirements, facts are being gath
cred for use at senate and house
committee hearings on proposed
road legislation.
Facts are also being gathered for
the information of Congress upon
the impracticability, from an econ
Omic point of view, of reducing the
system of Federal Aid highways
which have been selected and des-
ignated by the highway departments
of the several states and approved
by the secretary of Agriculture OF
the United States. This system as 1t
now stands, highway officials assert,
was selected after careful study with
the aim of providing properly cor =
related and connected system of
roads that would best accommodate
local and farm to market traffic as
well as traffic of a state and inter-
state character.
In the resolution which will be
laid also before house and senate
committees, highway officials have
agreed that any reduction in the
Federal Aid system "as now selected
and approved would tend to break
the continuity of said system, and
might so restrict the same that
many communities served by high
ways now rightfully included there ,
in, would be deprived of such SER
vice." In opposition to any attempt |
that may be made to reduce the sys-
TEN, state highway departments as
in the American AssO-
citation of State Highway Officials,
are ready with their answer to Con-
gress as being Opposed to any plan
which has for its purpose a reduc-
ton in the system of Federal Aid
as now provided for in Sec
ton of the Federal highway act"
The United States Bureau of Pub
lie Roads, Department of Agricul-
ture, was commended by resolution
for its spirit of friendly helpful
ness" in it's work with states "dur-
ing the first decade of cooperative
road construction