Evening star., 1929-12-08
POLICIES FOR ROAD
BUILDING RATIONAL
No Spending Orgy Will Be
Found in Programs In
VoIving Federal Aid.
BY JAMES w. BROOKS,
Director, American Highway Educations

By JAMES w. BROOKS,
DIRECTOR American Highway Educational
The Nations highway forces have
taken their first legislative step in fol-
lowing the Presidents leadership fol
greater speed in highway construction
In this first step, the regular Federal
aid appropriation bill is now before both
branches of Congress. The measure pro-
vides for the fiscal years of 1882 and
1888, and hearings will begin shortly.
This measure was introduced in the
Lower House by Representative Dowell
OF Iowa, chairman of the House COM
mittee on roads, and in the Upper House
by Senator PhippS of Colorado, chair
man OF the Senate committee on post
of1ces and post roads. It carries an
emergency clause which calls for $50,-
100000 to be added to the last Federal
aid authorization in order that a much
larger mileage may be placed under con-
struction in the early Spring than would
otherwise be possible.
Prepare Road Programs.
In anticipation OF the early passage
Of this emergency measure, which, as
before stated, is incorporated in the
regular Federal aid bill, highway de-
partments are busily engaged in pre-
pairing for enlarged programs in their
respective States. Several States have
already reported on the approximate
new mileage, which they could take on
within the limits of their respective
quotas from the emergency appropria-
ton now in line for congressional ac-
ton. Reports from the remaining States
are expected shortly, and highway off,
cialS, both State and Federal, will then
be in position to announce the extent of
their enlarged programs for early
Spring.
It is doubtful, according to facts
cleaned In highway circles, whether any
other branch of the Government having
to do with public work will be able to
show the speed that highway depart
ments are showing in mobilizing for
Steadier and greater. employment of la
highway construction is the one line of
State and Federal endeavor which re-
turns quickest gain to the public and
this gain mounts in volume as highway
improvement extends.
No Spending Orgy.
There Is one phase of the accelerated
movement for more roads, however. to
which attention should be called. First,
tnere are definite indications that there
Will De no spending orgy within the
power OF highway officials to prevent.
Rather, there will be a carrying out of
the policy heretofore fixed and in ac-
cordance with which the States have
been cooperating with the Federal Gov
ernment for some time. That policy is
70 complete the main routes first in or
Ger to bring the advantages of reduced
Venlcle operating costs to the greatest
numner OF people. In other words, there
Is going to be no upturning of the bar
rel in search of pork" Every dollar,
barring necessary overhead, is going into
roaooed OF the right type at the right
place ana in the right way, and there
wln be no jumping to the other end of
the job, at least not until State sys-
TENS are much farther advanced than
they are at the present time.
In the regular Federal aid measure
now before Congress, $l25,OOO. 900 is
called for to cover highway construction
curing the fiscal year ending June 80,
1882, and the same amount is called for
to cover the fiscal period ending June
30, 1888. However, with the emergency
amount OF $50, 100000 added to the last
appropriation and made available for
immediate use for the remainder of the
| coming flscal year, the country's high
way construction enterprise even then
Will not be sufficiently provided for con-
sidering the amount of work that must
be done.