Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25

chief engineer, Win headquarters ~
San Francisco, who is responsible to
other districts are directly under the
supervision of the chief engineer.
When q STAT Highway Department
desires federal aid in financing a road
on the Federal-aid system, it notifies
the district engineer, who makes an eX-
summation OF the road and the plans
proposed for its Improvement If he APP
proves the States proposals, he submits
the project either to the deputy chief
engineer at San Francisco or to the
chief engineer at Washington with APP
propriate recommendations. However,
he may at once authorize the State
Highway Department to begin con-
struction, subject to subsequent agree
ment or any notifications OF plans
which may be required by his superior
authorities. A formal agreement Is
made between the State and the Fed
eral Government. Construction then
proceeds under the immediate super
vision of State highway engineers and
subject to frequent inspection by Fed
eral engineers. The Federal Govern
ment has no official relations with
county and local officials.
Thus administered, the Federal-aided
highway system on June 80. 1880, COM
prised a total Of 193,049 miles of main
interstate and intercounty highways. At
the close of the fiscal year 1880, the
actual length of roads improved with
Federal aid was 84,0l2 miles, or A per
cent of the total mileage. Since 1921
the Federal grants for bodybuilding
have amounted to 100000 a year,
but Congress, in April, 1880, raised the
annual appropriation to $125,000,000
for 1881, 1882 and 1888.
Measures in Congress.
toward the specific application of the
Federal-aid system is reflected in his
annual messages to Congress in Decem-
Der, 1929, and December, 1880. In his
first annual message the President, re-
ferring to highways, said: Federal aid
in the construction of the highway sys-
TENS in conjunction with the States has
proved to be beneficial and stimulating.
We must ultimately give consideration
to the increase of our contribution to
these systems, particularly with view
to stimulating the Improvement OF
farm-to-market roads"
Referring in the same address to So
cial service, the President said: In
Broad sense Federal activity in these
directions education, home building,
protection to women and children, en-
ployment. public health, recreation) has
been confined at most to tenn
porary subsidies to the States in order
to secure uniform advancement in prac-
tice and methods. ANY other attitude
by the Federal Government will under
mine one Of the most precious posses
sions of the American people; that is,
local and individual responsibility. We
should adhere to this policy"
Speaking of public health in the
same message, Mr.. Hoover said: II con-
slider that the Federal Government has
an obligation Of contribution to the es-
Enlistment of such agencies.
recommend to the Congress that the
purpose of the Sheppard-Towner act
should be continued through the Chill
dren's Bureau for a limited period of
years, and that the Congress should
consider the desirability of combining
the use Of Federal funds by the States
to the building up OF such county or
other local units, and that such outlay
should be positively co-ordinated with
the funds expended through the United
States Public Health Service directed TO
other phases Of the same county or
other local unit organization. All funds
appropriated should, of course, be APP
piled through the States, so that the
public health program of the county or
local unit will be efficiently co-ordinated
with that Of the whole State"
IN his second annual message Presi-
dent Hoover, referring to social service,
by the Congress Of the recommended
tons ] made year ago looking to the
development through temporary Fed
eral aid Of adequate State and local
services for the health of children and
the further stamping out of COM
municable disease, particularly in the
rural sections. The advance of scien-
tific discovery, methods and social
thought imposes a new vision in these
matters Tho drain the Eo6afa1
Treasury is comparatively small. The
results, both economic and moral, are of
the utmost Importance"
In the same message the President
asked an emergency appropriation Of
from Sl00,000,000 to S150,000,000 to
provide emergency employment through
a speeding up of public works IN
connection Herewith we need some au-
thority TO make enlarge temporary adj
vances of Federal highway aid to the
States"
In accordance with this last recon-
n1endation special appropriation bill
was passed by Congress and signed by
the President December 90, 1880, which
made emergency appropriations for the
six remaining months of the present
fiscal year as follows:
Federal-aid highway system 80. $s0.o00,00o
Forest highways, roads, trails 80 o.o
Roads, and trails in national wv O0o
Us
Roads throush public lands. 100000
River and harbor projects....... 22'S00'oo0
Flood control .........'......... 3'ooO'VOU
$4,000 200
The act provided that the sums ad-
vanced for the Federal-aid highways
system shall be reimbursed to the Fed
eral Government over a period Of five
years, commencing with the fiscal year
1888, through reductions OF future APP
portionments. 1t further provided that
SHOULD any State fail TO claim any
part of its allotment hereunder the
President may reapportion such un-
claimed funds TO the States capable OF
using them prior to September !, 1881"
Maternity and Unemployment Aid.
Three other Federal-aid measures
have received consideration during the
Seventy-first Congress TO date. A bill
extending for three years the program
of Federal aid in the vocational re-
Mobilization of persons injured in in
dustry at an annual cost of $1,000, 600
has been passed by both houses and
signed by the President. The Wagner
bill providing for the establishment OF
a rational system Of employment ex-
changes in cooperation with the
STATES, financed in part by Federal
contributions, vas approved by the
Senate in May, 1880, but has not yet
been taken up in the House. Senator
Wagner has given notice Of his inten-
ton TO introduce a new bill providing
that in the event any State shall elect
to make contributions TO unempioy-
ment insurance funds set up jointly
by employers and their employees, the
Federal Government will pay into the
fund one-third of the amount con-
tributed by the State.
The Jones-Capper bill TO revive the
maternity program OF the Snep-
PRESIDENT Hoover. Is the unfinished