Show amm M N OF ROAD BILLS at the weekly luncheon of 0 the ogden chapter of 0 the american association ot of engineers held at the weber club monday a short talk was given by B D J finch Df district strict engineer of 0 the U S bureau ot of public roads on the features ot of the road legislation now pending in congress he said that both the senate and house houe had passed buls bills which were similar in the general features but differed somewhat in phraseology and in some mill minor details A brief summary of the major features of the two bills follows the original federal aid road act placed the administration ot of the fed eral funds under the secretary of agriculture gri culture the townsend mil dill as introduced trod in the senate provided tor for the administration by a commission of 0 three members amendments introduced during the discussion of the bill however eliminated this feature and placed the control as before under the department of agriculture the phipps dowell bill as passerby pass edby tile the house re the original federal aid road act in also placing the control of the work under the secretary of 0 agriculture the two bills are now in harmony on this important feature both senate and house bills provide the same method of apportioning funds as aa in the original federal aid act which based the allotment on the three factors of 0 relative area population and mileage of rural delivery and star routes the new legislation proposes that no state shall receive less than one halt half of 0 one per cent of the total sum sulu apportioned both bills now provide for the expenditure pend iture of 0 lill all federal aid funds in each state on a system to be selected by the state highway department and approved by the secretary of agriculture this system is to comprise not to exceed seven per cent ot of the total road mileage of 0 the state of which seven per der cent not to exceed three sev entas shall be on primary or interstate routes and the remainder on secondary or roads the senate bill provides that not more than sixty percent of the federal funds shall be expended on the primary routes while tile tho house bill provides that not less iss than sixty per cent shall be expended on those same routes this difference remains to be adjusted by the conference committees the tha senate bill provides that all highways in the primary system shall have a right of way of ample width and a wearing surface of adequate width which shall be not less than twenty feet unless in the opinion of the secretary of agriculture it is rendered impracticable by physical conditions excessive costs probable traffic requirements or legal obstacles also that only such types shall lw be approved as aa will adequately meet the existing and probable future traffic needs need the house hoime bill provides that the secretary of agriculture shall approve only such projects as may be substantial in character both bills provide that the cost of 0 maintenance shall be borne by tho the states it however any state falls to maintain its federal aid roads it la Is provided by both bills that the secretary of agriculture shall have power to have such a project put in proper condition and charge the cost of such work to the federal funds to such state provision is made tor for the state to later repay this cost which in the case of the senate bill would bo be put pitt to the credit of the federal aid fund tor for that state the house bill provides that this reimbursement shall be to the credit of miscellaneous receipts of 0 the ille treasury so that it would not be available tor for future work no appropriation is made by the house bill the senate bill makes twenty five million dollars available immediately and fifty million dollars available in six months alter after the paa sage of the act this seventy five million dollars Is to be expended on federal aid bonds the senate bill also appropriates five million dollars available this year and ten million dollars available july 1 1922 tor for construction of 0 national forest roads fifty per cent but not to exceed three million dollars in any one fiscal year la Is to be expended on roads roada of primary importance tor for tho the protection administration and stilt bation of 0 tho the national forests the tha remainder of 0 I 1 the he appropriation Is to je be expended on forest roads of primary importance to the states counties pr communities within adjoining or adjacent to the national forests the house bill while making no appropriation carries tile the same provision as above tor for division of 0 the existing and future appropriations tor for national forest roads the two bills passed by the senate and house are so similar that there should bo be little difficulty in securing art an agreement by the conference coal dittes which were vere appointed by both bodies previous to the recess on august 24 upon agreement and final action by the two houses the bill would then only lack the presidents signature to be become begoins coins a law |