The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-05-06

624 miles, were to be included In the
national system, eligible for Federal
aid. Nearly every mile OF that 1856.
061 was candidate for designation
as a Federal highway. But in the end
the system was laid out as truly ma
tional one.
When the map was published &c
showed nearly the 100000 miles OF
designated routes Since then as. 1856
miles OF these roads have been Inn
! proved, nearly $4,000 more are under
I construction, and over 1000 have been
approved for early beginning Of work.
In addition to that many states have
built, without Federal aid, extensive
sections which are included within
this national system In fact, these
state contributions aggregate $4,000
miles, SO that approximately two
thirds OF the 100000 mile national
highway system has already been inn
proved
Uncle Sam as Road Supervisor
"Along with all Of this, there n the
Federal supervision over construction
and maintenance. When Uncle Sam
helps build q road he reserves au-
thority to require its proper main
tenance. Then there is the business
OF uniform marking along highways,
which makes it possible for motorists
to drive thousands of miles on a des-
4 ignated route whose markings be-
come so familiar that after a few
miles he need not ask directions.
Finally Federal participation has
made possible great number OF
bridges at strategic points. Some of
these have been needed for years, yet
state and local authorities have been
unable to provide them, partly be-
cause of the cost, partly because Of
i competition between routes. When
stream separates two counties, or two
states, 1t is often impossible to get
them to agree where to build or how
to divide the cost OF a bridge. In
such cases the Federal authority has
repeatedly mediated differences and
secured construction. Let me men-
ton some instances.
Missouri has been 3 state for over
century. Divided east and west by
the Missouri river, communication be-
tween the two sections has been linn
tied, to the states disadvantage. -Four
bridges across the river were required
in the national highway program, and
Federal cooperation with the state OF
Missouri has made them possible.
/ Two are completed, the others are un-
| der construction. The four will cost
little more than $4,000. 900, the Fed
eral contribution being nearly $1,000.
600.
Getting Bridges Constructed
Another bridge that has q peculiar
Importance. both locally and nation
ally, has been needed for generations
across Raritan bay, New Jersey. 1t is
one OF the links In the chain of COM
municatiOn between New York city
and the country at large In 1924
New Jersey had some 500. 600 of Fed
sral aid allotted to her roads and in
1925 over $1,000.00O. So the state
agreed that this Raritan bridge should
be built. costing about $4,000, 600.
Federal funds made up about one
third Of the amount. The bridge, over
mile and half long. il now nearly
completed.
such illustrations might be multi
piled indefinitely. National participa-
ton has repeatedly made possible the
accomplishment of vitality important
highway development
! According to the American Petro-
leum Institute. the gasoline tax was
nrst imposed In 1919 in Oregon. Il
has now been adopted by all the
states except New York, Illinois, New
Jersey and Massachusetts,. The ten
dency has been continually to in
crease the rate of tax per gallon. Az
late as 1921 gasoline taxes for the en-
tire country were only about $1,000.
600: In 1922. $12.0OO,OO0 In 1898, al
most $4,000, 900; in 1924. SIS, zoo, 600.
and In 1926. $142.987,749.
With good prospects that the "gas"
tax will be adopted soon by states
which do not have It now and with
the gallonage r1tes being Increased in
other states, It is calculated that this
tax alone viii soon raise $500 .000, 900
year. quite POSSIBLY durimg 1895.