Show state must move to sec secure ure federal aid millions of government money for road building the state road commission was told on friday last that there ther e still remains unused over two millions of dollars which t the he government has appropriated for the construction of post roads in this state upon the basis of the state subscribing an equal amount this declaration was made by L I 1 hewes regio regional n al ai director rector of the united states bureau of public roads with headquarters in san francisco at a meeting held in the offices of the state roa road d commission at the capitol building in salt lake city at which were present beside dr hewes and the members of the commission B J finch of ogden district engineer and W H lynch of ogden senior highway engineer af of eleven wes western terii states with which I 1 confer on road matters he said in substance the state of utah shows the poorest record without exception in cooperation with the federal government in the construction of post roads notwithstanding the fact that tor for abe mst three years at an average of 0 about twice a month vigorous representations have been made to the state road with regard to federal aid projects not a solitary project ot tills this class has been completed ot of about in contractual obligations of the state with the red fed ci bial al government touching on odst road projects and representing some ot of expenditures in all since tile the state directly or with county mone 1 en supplies ZO 30 per cent of 0 the amount loss less than has been paid by the federal government to the state the total allotment which utah may lt use e of 0 the federal aid moneys is about this means that plans and specifications ficat ions must be made out and the proper government signatures ob tallied tor for more than tor for road work before june ath next quick action Ne necessary essary 1 I hope utter after out our conference or 0 the pat past lour four or five hours that yu you r realize 1 I the situation the lest best engineering torce force you can got get and with the most expeditious handling of the work possible will be required it the state of utah I 1 is not to lose a part of 0 the I money aval available lable 1 I know that you will regret it very seriously it so much as of 0 this money front from the government goi is lost to the state remembering the experience of 0 the last few years we have had to work rights nights from june to the end of the month to get the lie utah projects in shape I 1 may say that you will have to concentrate every energy to complete the details necessary tor for the approval 0 f the projects by the government dr hewes said that already the administrative expense fund of 0 the bureau allotted to utah tor for the alie year is in it the red and lie intimated that the bureau is not satisfied with the condition of 0 the work in utah lie he read a telegram from the chief ot of the bureau T if If macdonald acDonald in which grave acx lety was expressed tor for the cAdi condition tion of 0 the engineering portion of 0 the federal aid project wort work in utah and lie he suggested that a competent engineering force be put to work at once on oil all projects engineering force needed ceilea when reference was made by a member of the commission to the character oi 0 some ot of the engineering work done in the pat past and to engineers who would travel twenty nilles miles to work on state slate time in the morning return to headquarters tor for lunch and travel the twenty miles back again tor for the afternoon lie he bai ibid id that the bureau did not care it the entire engineering force was fired but lie he suggested that the men dismissed be replaced with all possible speed and that the commission satisfy itself with condensed reports while it leave the details of the work in fit the handi of its state road engineer the declaration ol of dr hewes sol set things going in this community tor for box elder county had been led to understand der stand that there were no more funds to lie be had front from the federal appropriations and so it was believed that extensive road building was shut oft off tor for some time at least an attempt was made early this spring to becire federal aid in paving arve miles from sixth north street in this city west to railroad crossing east of corinne but the county commissioners were told told that the federal funds had been exhausted and so bo the project was wag dropped because it was known that the state had no funds and the county was waa unable to carry on the work alone this countes coun tys application alon tor for government aid was wai numbered and filed so that it comes first ou on the list of 0 applications but the declaration of dr hewes has given great impetus to the road building program locally and doubtless some action will be taken in the very near future to secure an appropriation ot of tile the several ra millions illions still coming to atall tor for road work in III box elder county it Is pointed out by those who have taken the time to do a little pencil work that the cost ot of hard surfacing the highway from this city to garland will be something between four and I 1 five hundred thousand dollars by bonding the county lor for and securing a like amount front from the federal funds this program could be undertaken at once the work to be pushed each year as rapidly as aa possible until it Is completed and the matter of 0 voting a bond ot of Is not such a tremendous thing according to the who have figured the thin thing out as it appears to be on the face ot it for instance a tax ot of a little more han ban halt half a trill mill would pay the inter interest estand and keep up the sinking fund on oil that amount of 0 money under the presenta presen tJ citation Wi tation ot of the box elder couty cout Tty th the i e valuation iner increases eases the amount ot of tax would automatically IP be less another halt half mill tax would amp amply supply the necessary funds for maintenance so that by adopting this plan tor for state road building in box kider elder county under the plan suggested above it would actu actually i leduce educe tile the taxes ot of tile the people af 8 ot of a mill tor for the present levy tor for state slate road purposes is ls mills and that is not all six hundred more enough to complete the ing ns of the highway between this city and garland Garl tind there would be considerable sid erable left over which might be used in building main feeder highways across country to connect with the main it brunk line running through the county and thereby provide a system of highways that would make it possible to travel all over the county nt at any time ot of the yar it Is also pointed out that the voting 0 fit large bond as suggested and secure additional sum suin from the government we could build the tha roads at once and the roads will last tor for years to come so that the present generation may have the use of 0 them and the coming generations will also have th ill use ilse ot of them and it will not be burdening the future to adopt such an ambitious program tile the highways do not cost much to maintain and when constructed properly they last indefinitely under proper care and maintenance so that there is to no reason in the world why children yet unborn should live to make use ilse of 0 hard surface highways which are constructed now the enthusiasts point out that this is box elder countes coun tys opportunity and doubtless the various commercial clubs and the rotary club will take steps to formulate a plan to present to the county commissioners in ill which it will ile be urged that tills county take immediate steps to secure its proportion of the federal funds which have ben appropriated to be used in the state of utah and in as much as those these funds must filst bo applied for before june soth next year and the entire program must be mapped out complete so 80 that a copy may accompany the application there Is no time to be lost |