Evening star., 1938-05-08
Senate Committee Expected
to Take Up Federal Aid,
Highway Program.
HOUSE PLACES DISTRICT
ON PARITY WITH STATES
Appropriations Group Approves
$201 100000 Figure for
1889 Allotments.
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

The Senate Post Once and Post
Roads Committee is expected to take
up soon the Federal aid highway pro-
gram for 1910 and 194l, which passed
the House Friday, carrying q pro-
vision under which the District would
begin in those years to share with the
States in development of the Federal
aid system.
Since the Senate already has gone
on record in favor of placing the Dis
trict on q parity with the States,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico, prospects are
bright for final enactment Of the
House provision at this session. Chair
man King of the District Committee
got separate bill through the Senate
last year to make the District eligible.
The House decided to handle it as an
amendment to the general Federal aid
authorization bill now being con-
sidered. which brings the question back
to the Senate.
Meanwhile. the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee approved yesterday
without change the $201 900 900 House
figure in the 1889 agricultural appro-
priation bill for the current Federal
aid highway allotments.
Washington Was Left Out.
The Federal aid program. with the
States matching national allotments,
began in 1916, but Washington has
not been permitted to share in these
regular road-building allotments, ex-
cept temporarily few years ago as
part Of the emergency work.relief
program.
During this emergency period sev-
eral years ago Federal cooperation
in the elimination of railroad grade
crossings was started as a further
means OF creating employment. In
1886. when the regular Federal aid
authorizations were resumed, this
grade-crossing work was continued as
an added feature in the development
of q nationwide highway system.
At that time the District was in
cluded along with the States in the
grade crossing program, but again
was left out of the highway portion
of the legislation, until the pending
Cartwright bill for 1904 was
drafted.
Time to Plan Budgets.
Senator Hayden, Democrat, Of Ari-
zona, already has held hearings on
the future program. but department
officials may be called in again be-
fore the committee acts. The authori-
cations are usually made for two
years in advance to give the States
time to plan their budgets so as to
be ready to Cooperate in the road
building program. Since 40 Of the
A State Legislatures that meet in
1889 would not meet again for two
more years, it is expected every ef-
fort will be made to enact the pend
ing bill before adjournment.
Chairman McKellar Of the Senate
Post Office Committee indicated yes
terday he is giving consideration to the
ACCESSIBILITY Of making some reduction
in the total amounts authorized In the
House bill.
Division Of Funds.
The amounts authorized by the
House for each of the fiscal years 1910
and 1941 are: Regular Federal aid,
s125 900 900; secondary or feeder roads,
s25,0oo, 900; grade crossing work, $780,
900 900; forest highways and trails.
$4,000, 900: public land highways, 81
100000; national park roads and trails.
$7,50o,000; national parkways, s10,-
900 900, and Indian reservation roads.
$4,000,000, The total Is S238, 900 900.
The District apportionments would
be 100000 for regular highways.
sl22,000 for feeder roads, and s244o0
for grade crossing work. It has been
pointed out that heavy how of cross
country traffic passes over District
highways.