The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-20
FOLEY CLEARED OF MRS. LANSD0W7NE'S CHARGES
STATES ROUND OUT FIRST
DECADE IN MODERN ROAD WORK
Highway Officials Open
Eleventh Session at De-
troit. Michigan - Federal
Aid an Economic Policy,
Declares President Frank
F. Rogers

r. Rogers
Detroit, Mich, Nov. 2O.--Thc clos
ing of the frs: decade in real modern
road building in the United States
was marked here today by the conven-
ing o thc American Association of
State Highway Officials. in their
elevcl.tu annual session.
Frank =. Rogers. president Of the
national n>dv. and state highway
comm; ss;"Hc! OF Michigan. in his
opening address. s,resSed the growing
Importance Of highways in interstate
commerce. the operation of Federal
Aid as between states. and the
status Of the present Federal Aid
road building program.
As to the general effect Of the
whole Federal Aid road building pro-
gram, these officials call attention to
the. fact that it has acted as a stimu-
lus to economic endeavor in many
ways and that during the decade now
closing results of untold value to tax
payers have been gained through re-
search and experience in modern high
way construction.
Increase Is Rapid
vi lHcIc "tlc
highway departments in only thirty
one states. Today there are forty
nine. including Hawaii. Ten years ago
there were only 1921 miles of i'm
proved state. county and township
Today 467,905 miles Of improved roads
are in service. On state roads includ-
ing all types of surfacing. improved
il,aro lS7 :,
to l2S,347 miles in 1925. On high
type surfacing the mileage advanced
in the same period from $4,000 to
approximately 10000 miles.
Total expenditures on all classes
of roads in 1915 were S240,263, 7sl.
Total expenditures on all roads in
1925 will approximate $1,000, 900.
The amount spent through state high
way departments in 1915, when there
was no Federal funds, reached S54,-
Ss4,O07. The approximate amount
thus spent in 1875, including Federal
funds Of 5,7i9,98S is given at $780,
10000
The total mileage of all roads in
the United States has advanced to
3,0O2,Sl6 miles. The total state road
mileage is given at 259,72l miles and
the interstate or seven per cent sys-
TEN on which state and Federal gov
ernments are working Jointly, approx
imates 100000 miles. This latter sys-
TEN is designed to carry interstate
traffic and touch every county seat
in the United States. Any contrac-
tion Of this seven per cent system as
means of economy, it is pointed out
will remove the trunk line system
that much farther from the people as
a whole.
A Disturbing Note.
1T is little disturbing" said Mr..
Rogers, in his annual address, Ito
note that there seems to be, under
the guise Of reduced taxation, a rather
strong propaganda against the cOntin-
uancc Of Federal Aid in road construc-
tion. This brings up the question as
to what taxable unit Of the govern
ment is best fitted and most able to
carry on the work and bear the cost
Of road building in "A manner that
will best serve all the people, con-
sidering the complexity, in all its
ramifications, Of the present day
uses of the public highways. If we
admit that a system of interstate
highways is desirable, and we must
admit it, unless we are to say to the
motorists Of any state, You shall only
use the roads within your borders
and have no right to 60 into anothe r
state and wear out the roads which
have been built by that state entirely
at its own expense, We have right
to demand that they be built wholly
or at least partially at national cx-
pcnsc; and here the courts step in
and say we must build for the other
states.
"The courts have held positively
that motor vehicles transporting goods
or persons from state to state over
public highways are actually engaged
in interstate commerce. Therefore,
the states cannot place undue restric-
tions on the vehicles thus engaged.
This being impossible, it would seem
only fair and honest to consider the
whole country as road building unit,
and tax all it's resources in just
and equitable manner for at least
enough to aid in building a system of
interstate highways satisfactory to
their users and in keeping with what
may be reasonably expected from the
richest nation in the world"
Highway commissioners and engi-
neers maintain an attitude of official
disinterestedness as to how the people
shall finance the construction of their
roads and with what speed the vari-
Gus projects shall be completed. They
merely report that of the 259, TN
miles embraced in total state systems,
only 128,347 miles have been surfaced
and in this latter mileage there is
approximately 10000 miles of high
type surface on which tire wear. fuel
cost and road upkeep is reduced to a
minimum, leaving about 10000 miles
of state system roads in the class
that rips tires, as proven by tests,
from seventeen to fifty-six times as
fast as on the approximate 10000
miles Of high type surface.
Good Roads an Economy.
They also call attention to the fact
that road building is not keeping
pace with road use, and that the rela-
tive investment in motor vehicles
and roads stands today at approx
mately $l0,O0O,0 900 more in We
hicles than in roads. They merely
submit the suggestion that in the
light Of proven tests there is greater
economy in proceeding steadily toward
cutting down vehicle costs, through
the construction of high type roads,
where traffic requires such cOnstruc-
tion. 1t is simply question, they
say, as to where the public wishes to
pay its road bill-in small amounts
at the tax office, or in larger amounts
at the filling station and tire dealers
shop.
Concerning Federal Aid payments to
states, President Rogers said that
"it is believed that the peak has
been passed as far as payments, out
Of the Federal treasury are concerned,
on the present authorizations made
by the Federal government. The
states have been gradually sbsorbing