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Show I Better Setter HugeFederal-State HugeFederal State HugeFederalState Farm FaTm ' Travel 'travel Promised in Huge Federal-State Federal State - Postwar Road Program Cooperation of Local Agencies Needed to toAssure toAssure Assure Share in Projects . By WALTER WALTBR SHEADWNU SHEADWNU SHEAD SHEADWNU WNU Washington asb1ngton ashington \ \ % Correspondent CorrespondentWASHINGTON CorrespondentWASHINGTON CorrespondentWASHINGTON WASHINGTON , DC-TownshIp DC TownshIp D CTownship C Township -Township - trustees and hIghway hIghwaysupervIsors highwaysupervisors highwaysupervisors supervIsors , county highway superintendents supermtendents boards of coun county county county ty commissioners and other officials of local governmental governmentalumti governmentalunits governmentalunits umti units : interested in secondary and feeder road constructIon constructIonand constructionand constructionand and improvement have an unprecedented opportunity opportumty to take takeadvantage takeadvantage takeadvantage advantage of the largest grant in aid of federal funds in the thehIstory thehistory thehistory hIstory of the Public Roads admmIstratIonq'lus administrationThis administration admmIstratIon administrationThis ' This q'lus qlus grant of federal aid for highway androad and road construc construc- construchon construction construction - tion hon to be matched by the states on a 50 50 basis totals $1 1 $ 500 500000 -000 000 - 000 000 and provides for a $500 500 $ 000 000 e expenditure pendIture of federal federalfunds federalfunds federalfunds funds annually for the first three postwar fiscal years That Thatmeans Thatmeans Thatmeans means if the several states take advantage of all the funds fundsan , I ThatI an e expenditure pendIture of three billion dollars on highways will be bemade bemade bemade made in the three year year peno period _ . This expenditure is to be dlVlded divided divided$225 divided225 I $225 225 $ O 000 { ) { ) 000 annually tor for the regular regularfederal regularfederal regularfederal federal aid highways lughways $125 125 $125000000annually 125000000annually $ 000 000 000annually 000annually annually for urban projects on the thefederal thefederal thefederal federal aid highway system and and5150 $150 150 $ 000 000 for secondary and feed feeder feeder teeder er roads roadsAnd And it is this latter appropnat approprIat on onwIth onwith onwith wIth which we are particularly con concerned concerned concerned cerned tor for it If all subdivisions of the theI thestate thestate thestate state governments take advantage advantageof I of this congressional approprIatIon appropriationfor for the ihree J1ree diree year period it will willmean willmean willmean willI mean an expenditure of $900 900 $ 000 000 000on 000on 000on I on these all important farm to mar market markct , ket roads \ which hICh constitute consbtute 88 888 8 per percent percent percent cent of all our public publ1c highw hlgh\\ hlgh hlghay highway \ \ ay m Ieage IeageThe Ie le Ieage leage age ageThe The importance of part cipat clpat on onby onby onby by local governmental officials IS ISpomted ispointed ispointed pomted pointed out for the reason that In Inmost inmost inmost most of the states it will be neces necessary necessary necessary sary to enact enabhng enabling leg slatlon slation in inorder inorder Inorder order that local road officials and andstate andstate andstate state highway departments may gettogether get gettogether gettogether together on a comprehensive plan planWhICh planwhich planwhich WhICh WhICh111 \ will \\111 111 take m 1D in these farm to tomarket tomarket tomarket market roadsThe roadsThe roads roadsThe The federal bureau of o1 public publ1c pubhc roads roadsdeals roadsdeals roadsdeals deals only with state highway de departments departments departments partments so the cooperation of ofstate ofstate ofstate , state and locallughway local highway departments departmentsis IS essential it 1f if this money is to go goto goto goto to local road constructIon constructIonLegIslatures constructionLegislatures constructionLegislatures , LegIslatures MeetIn MeetIn Meet MeetIn In every state in the union WIth WIththe withthe withthe the exception excepbon of o1 Kentucky LOUISI LOUISIana Louisiana Louisiana ana Mississippi and Virg nia ma the thestate thestate thestate state legislatures are or have been beenm beenin beenin m in session this year ycar The chancesare chancesare chances are thathere that \ where \\here here \ necessary this en enablmg enabling enabling ablmg abling legislation is already before beforethe beforethe beforethe the state legislatures legislaturesIn In some states for instance mstance In InNorth mNorth inNorth North Carolina Carolma West Virginia Vlrgmia Vir Virgmla Virgima Virgmia gmla gima Delaware Delaare " , and Maryland Uaryland Ilaryland all allcounty allcounty allcounty county roads have been taken over overby overby overby by the state high vay yay departments departmentsIn In other states such as the NewEngland New NewEngland NewEngland England states there is a workmg working workmgagreement workingagreement workingagreement agreement that the state highway highwaydepartments highwaydepartments highwaydepartments departments build the county roadsThe roadsThe roads roadsThe The point pomt is however that this IS ISnot isnot isnot not a paternalistic g gift t to the local localcommunItIes localcommunities localcommunities communItIes the federal aid is ex extended extended extended tended on the bas s ol of need and the theextent theextent theextent extent of the cooperation betweenlocal between betweenlocal betweenlocal local localroad road officials and theIr theIrstate theirstate theirstate state highway departments departmentsIn In a good many states a system systemof systemof systemof of secondary roads has never been beendes beendes beendes des gnated by the state high lugh yay vay yaydepartmtnts vaydepartments vaydepartme-nts vaydepartme nts departmtnts departments - and this designation IS ISone isone isone one of ot the requirements so that the themoney themoney themoney money moneyspent ipent pent spent can be under the supervision super superVISIon supervision VISIon of the highway departments departmentsof departmentso1 of o1 the statesInsofar statesInsofar states statesInsofar Insofar as the farm to tonarketroads 11arket market 11arketroads marketroads ' -narketroads narketroads - roads are concerned the $450 450 $ 000 000 000of 000of 000of of federal f-mds f mds f.mds fmds finds . - tor for the three year yearpenod yearperiod yearperiod penod period will be apportioned to the thestates thestates thestates states one third on the basis of ofarea ofarea ofarea area one third tlurd on the basis of ruralpopulation rural ruralpopulation ruralpopulation population and one third on the thebaSIS thebasis thebasis baSIS of rural post road mileageThe mileageThe mileage mileageThe The importance of the develop development development development ment of o1 these secondary and feed feeder feeder feeder er roads to the bas c economy of ofthe ofthe ofthe the rural districts of the nation nabon IS IS1mmed isimmed isimmed 1mmed immed ately seen when it is pomted pointed pomtedout pointedout pointedout out that there are 2 2936000 936 000 miles rmles ofthese of ofthese ofthese these roads and only about 5 per percent percent percent cent of that mileage is paved About About38 38 per cent is surfaced w th such suchmaterIal suchmaterial suchmaterial materIal as topsoil shale un tin untreatei tintreated untreated treatei treated ! gravel and crushed rock and andthe andthe andthe the remaining remammg 57 per cent has hasno hasno hasno no surfacing surfacmg of any kind kmd In other otherwords otherwords otherwords words the millions of farmers l1v lrv l1ving lrving living ing on th s 57 per cent of the mile mileage mileage mileage age of o1 farm to market roads are aresbll arestill arestill sbll still in 1D the mudBenefits mudBenefits mud mudBenefits Benefits WidespreadWhIle WidespreadWhile Widespread WidespreadWhile While there are no clearly d dg dgfined defined fined boundaries boundanes of o1 the areas of o1 o1population ofpopulation ! populatIon groups especially served servedI servedby servedby I I ofI by anyone any one of the three classes of ofroads ofroads ofroads roads that is federal a d hIghways hIghwaysurban highwaysurban highwaysurban urban roads and streets and the thefarm thefarm thefarm farm to market roads allareas all areas areasand areasand areasand and all populations populabons derive some somebenefit somebenefit somebenefit benefit from the three groups of oflughways ofhighways ofhighways ofhighwaysIt lughways highways lughwaysIt highwaysIt It is apparent however that thatpeople thatpeople thatpeople people living l1vmg outside of any mun el ci elpal1ty cipality cipality pal1ty pality and people living lvlng ! in m municl munici municlpaltIes municipahtaes municipahties paltIes pahtaes ! of less than 10 000 popula populatIon population population I theseI tIon are especialy especlaly Interested in m these I , , n 'WSL WSL ' " . . Bef Rf vi fnr ui oreL oreLAfter c < f .i.ai.Sa iai.Sa iaiSa . .i.ai.San . ' \ . - v vi % -i i - iAfter After After . . y 2 ' ' -vewr vewr - , els elsBefore t tvewr Before ELfc * - t-lv t lv - ? 2 ' n rX rXn rXAfte AfterI Afte M > AfterIWidened Widened drained and graded gradedthese gradedthese these county feeder roads in nIary Mary nIaryIland Maryland Maryland Iland land are now providing farmerswith farmers farmersWIth farmerswith WIth faster and smoother serVIce serVIceto serviceto serviceto to marketing ' centersfarm centers centersfarm farm to market or secondary roads roadsAnd roadsAnd roadsAnd And here are some population fig figures figures figures ures on that bas s There are ap approrunately approximately approximately pro-runately pro runately proximately - 21 000000 000 000 people people 1 I vmg ving vmg1D vingin vingin 1D in towns of 01 less than 10 000 andabout and andabout andabout about 48 000 000 people mostly farm farmers farmers farmers ers living l1vmg outside of mumclpal1Ues municipalities municipalitiesor mumclpal1Uesor or a total of 69 000 000 people So Sothat Sothat Sothat that 52 4 per cent of ot the total popu populabon population population labon lation of the country are in m areas areaswhere areaswhere areaswhere where the secondary and feeder feederI feederroads feederroads feederroads roads are located andould and \ would \\ould ould \ receive receiveI receivea I I a large measure of benefit from fromtheIr fromtheir fromtheir theIr improvement improvementBut . . But to be more specific 44 000 000 000people 000people 000people people live l1ve on these secondary secondaryroads secondaryroads secondaryroads roads and they constitute consbtute the We life Wel1ne lifeline lifeline l1ne line tor for 92 per cent of the 6 100 000 000farms 000farms 000farms farms in m the nat on Travel studIes studiesfor studiesfor , for the year 1941 showed that of the thetotal thetotal I Itotal total of 310 800 000 000 \ ' . ehicle ehlcle mIles mIlestraveled milestraveled milestraveled traveled in m the United Umted States 107 107180 180 000 000 was on the farm to mar market market market ket roads or 34 5 per cent of the thetotal thetotal I Itotal total vehicle vc.hlcle vchlcle . m miles es travel traveledOf traveled traveledOf cd cdOf Of course the funds to be avaIl available available , able for the improvement of these thesesecondary thesesecondary I secondary roads are not expected to toImprove toimprove toimprove Improve all of o1 them and it is the theresponsib theresponsib theresponsib responsib hty l1ty lily of local road officIals officIalsand officialsand officialsand and the state highway lughway departments departmentsto to determine determme what proportion can canbest canbest canbest best be improved to prov de the thegreatest thegreatest thegreatest greatest good tor for the greatest greatestnumber greatestnumber greatestnumber number of people peopleFunds Funds LimitedAccordmg LimitedAccording Limited LimitedAccording According Accordmg to estimates esl1mdtes whichhave which whichhave whichhave have been received from many manystates manystates manystates states it is doubtful that funds pro provlded provided provided vlded vided in m the three year period penod will willprovIde willprovide willprovide provIde improvement tor for as much muchas muchas muchas as one third tlurd of the entire secondary secondaryroad secondaryroad secondaryroad road system And it is likely l1kely that thatthousands thatthousands thatthousands thousands of m miles es of these sccond second sccondarj secondar arj ar > ) roads will never be ImprovedFor improvedFor improved improvedFor For instance mstance F R White cluef chief cluefeng chiefeng chiefeng eng neer veer of the Iowa State hIghvay high vay vaysystem vaysystem vaysystem system in testifying testlfymg before the thehouse thehouse thehouse house of representatives road com corn commlttee cornmittee cornmittee mlttee mittee said that stud es as in m h s sstate sstate sstate state indicated mdlcated that improvement of ofabout ofabout ofabout about 83 per cent of the rural sec secondary secondary secondary ondary road mileage would prpvidea prpvldea prpvlde prpvide a surfaced road to each farmhousem farmhousein farmhouse m in the stateA stateA state stateA A goodly port on of ot the re remamlng remaining remaining mamlng maining 17 per cent ccnt of the m leage leageis leageis leageis is so 1 I ttle We used as to be not not ! ! ) ng ngmore ngmore ngmore more than land use trails wluch winch wluchcould winchcould whichcould could wen well be abandoned as publ pubi c chlghv.ays chighways chighways hlghv.ays hlghvays highways . and the land turned back backto backto backto to corn com production Mr lItr White saIdIn saidIn said saidIn In se solne solve a1e > states the thc need is much muchgreater muchgreater muchgreater greater than in m others as was eVI eVIdenced evidanced evidcnced denced danced in m some of o1 the testimony be before before before fore this comm ttee In IndIana IndIanafor Indianafor Indianalor for instance a large per cent , , , otrural ot of otrural ofrural rural roads have some sort of sur surfacIng surfacing surfacing facIng like b luminous tummous tuminous crushed rock rockor rockor rockor or gravel while wh e in Alabama thetestimony the thetestImony thetestimony testImony showed that some 60 000 000m 000miles 000miles m miles es of the . country road system is - Fifty Futy seven per percent perS percent S $ trsi f cent of America s svast syE svast yE vast network of ofrural ofrural sI I v n rural secondary secondaryroads secondaryroads secondaryroads roads remain un on unsur onsurfaced unsurfaced sur surfaced laced \ nith with Ith tbe the tbercsult theresult ' - , ze + 4 4result rcsult result that manylarmers manyfarmers many manyt ! timers larmers farmers : . i-till i till .hll hll still - Cnd find findthemselves findthemselves Cnd"i t /"i "i i / " K . 3 themselves Cre ire Crequcntly frcq 5 t w d a quently qucntly stuck .tuck tuck ! . m in mthe inthe mM the mud as this thisplcturo thistAiri a picture plctur plcturo plcturomdicates ' mdicates mdlcates . mdlcatesI I largely without permanent surfacmg surfacing surfacmgand surfacingand surfacingand and varies greatly with the dd'fer ddfer differ dd'ferent differant different ' ent ant countiesWhile counties countiesWhile countiesWhile While cost of these farm to mar market market marhet ket roads varies vanes in different sectIons sectionsof of the country Indications are that thatthe thatthe thatthe the county and township officials officialswant officialswant officialswant want as much mileage surfaced surtaced aspossible as aspossible aspossible possible from the funds available at atcosts atcosts atcosts costs running from appro'tlmatelY approtlmatelY approximately approiimately$3 |