The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1946-10-31
Roebuck Explains farm To- Market Road Program
As Set Up By State Legislature: Is Limited

ons of House Bill No. "a, which allo-
Gates to the counties 500 of all fed
eral funds made available to Missis-
sippi for the construction of 'secon-
Diary and feeder" roads under the
provisions Of the Federal-Aid High
way Act of 1914. The states share
of these funds is $10,000,0 600 which
means that SIS, 900, 900 of these feder-
al funds will be spent upon the con-
struction and Improvement of coun-
ty roads. This sum is to be matched,
of course, by the $5,000,0 900 approp-
ration which the legislature made
for that purpose, giving a total OF
$40, 000, 900 for county road constr
uction in connection with the feder-
al-aid program.
This $40, 000, 900 is to be distribut-
ed between the counties in accord
ance with the formula set up in the
federal legislation, that is one-third
on the basis of rural population, one
third on the basis of area, and one
third on the basis of the mileage of
rural delivery and star routes. In
connection with this program, it is
well to bear in mind that the high
ways selected for construction and
Improvement, the specific projects
of the program and the order Of the
priority Of such projects are all SUBJ
ject to the approval of the Public
Roads Administration after having
been selected and agreed upon by
the various boards of supervisors
and the state highway commission.
The roads which comprise the "co-
unity federal-aid highway system"
are selected jointly by the boafds
Of supervisors and the highway CO
mmission, and the bill recognizes
the selections made last summer
between these bodies, and provides
that such selections are ratified and
approved. The actual amount Of con-
and Improvement that will
be done will, of course, be governed
BY the money available, and there
no aso to expect that all Of the
.oads upon the system, or even the
major portion thereof, will be con-
Immediately. The specific
to be constructed, and the
order of the construction Of such
are determined by the
boards of supervisors with the app
-ova1 of the highway commission
and, of course, of the Public Roads
Administration. Wherein three mon
his after resolving notice from the
highway of the amount of money to
which their county is entitled, each
BOARD of supervisors is required to
submit to the highway commission
description of recommended prof.
scts In the order in which they are
recommended for improvement. If
.hese are approved by the highway
commission, they are thereafter sub
to the Commissioner of Pub
lie Roads, and when approved, are
ready for construction.
The actual letting of contracts for
the construction of such projects is
done by the state highway commits
sion, and the cost and expense of
such letting is paid from the federal
aid and state-appropriated funds
allocated to the project. All rights
of-way for the roads to be construst-
ed are to be acquired by the COUNT
es. If any county desires to enlarge
upon or to supplement the program,
the bill gives it the right to expend
any funds which it might have avail
liable either in the general fund or in
the road and bridge fund or, if nee
essary, to issue road or road and
bridge funds therefor.
AS the bill provides that nothing
in the act shall convert any county
road into a state highway, the main
tenance Of all roads constructed
under this will remain the response
bility Of the county, and, under the
federal law, such maintenance must