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Show One of The Good Roads Bills Now Before Congress. A Full Text of What Roadmakers are Asking. (iuuil toads iiiid an ;ic;li;itlon to si-cine si-cine tlicin is nrccssanly of liitrtcstio Cnelm f.u titers. Mail) Kood roads bills have been Introduced Into Congress ,.-111(1 few passed. It seems possible now. liowevet, that theiu will bi some legislation on the subject, and, believing believ-ing thai the following bill, which is hlKhly recommended for passage, may prove of Interest, Tiik ItiU'uiu.iCAK picsi'iits It In full. The bill reads: He It enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Ameilca In Congress assembled, that there shall be established estab-lished In the Depaitment of Agriculture Agri-culture a bin can lo be known as the Ittircuu of Public Highway. Sec. 2 That the object and mr-pose mr-pose of said bureau .shall be to cooperate cooper-ate with the xarlous States and Territories Terri-tories of the United Sta'tes In tho con-I con-I st Miction of peimanent public roads j aciording to tho provisions of this act; to make Investigations and experiments experi-ments in tegard to the best methods of ro:ul making and the best loadmaklng maleiials; to eoopeiato with the arious State-, and Territories of the United States in the construction of object lesson loads: to publish and distribute bulletins and reports on the subject of roads and toad im provqincnt; to bring about, its far as may be. a uniform system for tho ie-pair, ie-pair, Impiovctnent, and construction of the public loads throughout the United States Se-. :t That the s.i id bureau .shall consist of three cominlssloneis, to be known as "Cotiiinlssloiier of High-wa)s," High-wa)s," two of whom shall lie appointed ap-pointed b) the President, li) and with the advice and consent of the Senate, in the following manner: One from the political patty In control of tho executive branch of tho Government, who shall be the chairman of the commission, com-mission, one from the largest minority political party. Uotli of the aforesaid afore-said commissioners shall have practical prac-tical knowledge of road engineering and construction and shall receive a salary of live thousand dollars per annum each. The president shall detail to serve as the thhd member of said commission an oillcer of the Engineer Corps of the United States Ann), on tho active or retired list, of rank not below that of captain, who shall receive, in addition to the pay allowance of his rank In the United States Army, a .sum sjiillcicnt to make live thousand dollais per annum. The said commissioners of highways shall appoint, subject to the appioval of the secietary of agriculture, such other oillcers, agents, and servants as may bo required to carry Into elfcct tho provisions of this act: Provided, that the said commissioners of highways high-ways shall be under tho general supervision super-vision of the secretary of agriculture, who shall exercise general Jurisdiction overall matters and acts coming under un-der their control by vlituc of this enactment. Sec. I. '1 hat after the expiration of six months fiom the date of the appioval ap-pioval of this Act, any state or territory terri-tory or civil subdivision thereof, through the otllccis having Jurisdic-I Jurisdic-I tlon of the public roads, may apply for . aid In the Improvement or consliuc tion of the public loads or sections j thoieof located In said state or terri-, terri-, tory. Sec ."i. That the commissioner-, of highwa)s shall make and promulgate all needful rules and regulations under which the various states and territories, territor-ies, or civil subdivisions thereof, may 'apply for and iccelve the benoliuof this act. The said rules and regulations regula-tions shall be approved bv tho secie-' secie-' tary of Agrlculluie. Sec. tl. That no stale or territory, j or civil subdivision thereof, shall be 1 entitled to receive the benellts of this act until It shall have established to I the satisfaction of the said commis-sioneisof commis-sioneisof li'irii-vays: First, that the ' htghw :ij hi section thereof, sought to tob' improved or constructed Is of sulllcieut public Importance as to come within the purview of this act, taking Into account the use, location, l and value of such highway, or section Itheicof, for the purpose of common tralllc and travel and for the delivery or the mall of the United Slates: (second that the requisite right of way ! for the impiovcment and construction of the highway, or section thereof, has I been secured; third, t,hat the highway, orsectlon thereof, when constructed or I Improved will be maintained and kept , Iii repair without recourso upon the United States; fourth, that the state or territory, or civil subdivision there-i there-i or, has provided for the payment of Us I portion of tho total cost of tho Im-' Im-' provement or construction as provided provid-ed for In this act. Sec. " That one-half of tho ox- penso of I lie Improvement or construction construc-tion of any public highway of any state or territory, or civil subdivision thereor, that may receive the benellts of this act shall be paid bv tho treasurer treas-urer of the United Slates, upon the wanatit of tho secietary of agriculture, agricul-ture, Issued upon the iciiiilsltloii of said commissioners of highways, out of any specific appropriation made to carry out the piovislons of this act, and that one-half of the expense thereof shall be paid by the state or territory, orchil subdivision thereof, In which the highway orsectlon thereof there-of Is located: Piovidcd, that nothing herein contained shall prevent the said states 01 territories from distributing dis-tributing their portion of the cost among their several civil subdivisions: Provided futlieV, that nothing herein contained shall prevent the said states or tcriitories, or civil subdivisions theteor. from rccelylnir credit for all labor, material, and ninclilueiy used in the conjunction or Improvement of said highway or section thoieof: Provided further, that no mono) shall be advanced by tho United States In payment of Its propoitlon of tho expense ex-pense of the Improvement or construction construc-tion as herein provided for except as tho work of actual coustiuctlon progresses, pro-gresses, and In no case shall the payment pay-ment or payments made prior to the completion of the work be hi excess or elvlily per centum of the value of the work actually performed. Sec 8. That there Is hereby appropriated, appro-priated, out of any money In the Treasuiy not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of carrying out the piovislons of Hi!-. Act, the sum of twenU-four million dollars, the said appropilallon to be available at the rate of eight million dollars a )ear during the )ears nineteen hundred and six, nineteen bundled and seven, i and nineteen hundred and eight. H any of the appropriation herein made , Is not expended shall become available the succeeding year. This appropriation appropria-tion shall be distributed in the following follow-ing manner: No State or Territory shall receive. In any one year a larger proportion or the sum hereby appio-prlated appio-prlated than Its population bears to the total population of the United States. |