Milford chronicle., 1928-05-11
BILLS PROVIDE FOR
SUPER HIGHWAYS
If Congress Approves Money Will Be
Available For Nationwide Project

Available For Nation. Wide Project
Genuine farm relief would be pro-
vided by favorable action by this
Congress on a revised bill-H. R.
13323-introduced in the House this
week by Congressman Edward E.
Browne of Wisconsin whose original
bill H. r. 10142 provided a special
highway building fund of $407,341,-
145 to be distributed to the 48 states
on the same basis as Federal aid for
highways.
Senator James E. Watson of lndi-
ana introduced in the Senate $500,
which is identical with the original
Browne bill, and will be revised in
line with the revision of H. r. 1898.
The original measure sponsored by
the American Motorists Association
limited the use of the special fund to
the 100000 miles of the Federal aid
highway system. The revised bill
provides that only One-half of this
sum may be expended on this limit
ed system, the remaining half OF
over $2OO,OO0OO0 being made avail
able for the improvement of farm
service roads not included in the
Federal aid system, and totalling
100000 miles.
At the present time the Federal
Government has undertaken to as
sist in the improvement of only
10000 miles out of the three mil
lion miles of public roads. Thus
Federal assistance has benefited
chiefly the towns and cities and the
farmer has been left to struggle
with inferior roads, situation
which goes far to explain present
conditions and prevalent discomfort.
In reintroducing the measure,
CONGRESSMAN Browne stated in his
opinion something must be done i'm
mediately to improve agricultural
conditions and none of the proposals
before Congress would afford more
immediate and practical relief.
"The Federal Government is not
doing it's part in removing the hand
icap of bad roads," said Thomas j.
Keefe, General Manager of the Am
erican Motorists Association.
while it is helping to improve
100000 miles of highways, it is MAX
ing constant use of about a million
and a half miles in the postal ser
vice. 1t thus throws the cost Of
construction and maintenance of a
million and third miles of high
ways, and the maintenance OF the
Federal aid system entirely upon the
counties and the states and contri-
butes nothing to offset its use of
these roads in the conduct of its own
business. The provision for farm
service roads is therefore fully justi-
fed.
This legislation is unique in that
it provides the means to speed up
road construction and for farm re-
lief without adding to the tax bur-
den. The fund is to be created
through the conversion into cash of
the bonds of the French Govern
ment tOtaIing over $4000OO,OOO for
the purchase of surplus war prop
erty and maturing next year, the
validity of which is acknowledged
by the French Government, and the
payment of which when due is as
sumed by this Government.
The fund therefore is drawn from
reserve capital, thus rendering it
unnecessary to increase the reve-
nues from taxation.
The proposal embodied in the
Browne-Watson Bill was submitted
last fell to the Governors, State
Highway Departments and to COM
mercial and trade bodies generally
throughout the entire country. The
replies received revealed an over
whelming demand for its passage.
At the first glance Says DR.. S. M.
Johnson, Chairman of the National
Good Roads Board of the American
Motorists Association, it would
seem that the proposal runs counter
to the administrations economy pro-
gram, which undoubtedly has recelv-
ed the support of the entire country,
irrespective of party lines. However,
careful consideration reveals the !
fact that the good roads people and
business interests of the United
States who are urging this leglsla-
ton are carrying out the Presidents |
program. An analysis of economy |
reveals more than a single factor.
Economy does not exhaust itself |
with ceasing to spend. 1t includes
stopping preventable waste and
since more than ninety million
wheels are throwing off real money
with every revolution on nine miles
out of ten travelled, real economy in
cludes a program to save this waste
by substituting roads fitted for the
economical operation of motor We
hicles.