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Show BUILDING GOOD ROADS Many Bills Introduced in Congress Con-gress for Federal Aid. Matter May Soon Be Thrashed Out and Happy Medium Found Where- by Government and Various States May Co-Operate. (By HOWARD II. GROSS At every session of congress for the last few years, a half dozen or more bills have been Introduced to provide for some kind of cooperation between the federal government and the various atatea, for the permanent improvement of the highways. These bills are generally limited to those roads used for rural delivery, which comprise about half of all the roads there are, and cover practically all the main thoroughfares. It need scarcely be said that most of these measures are Impracticable, visionary and show clearly that the author has given the subject but very little consideration. con-sideration. Others have been quite CHrefi.lly thought out. These facts collectively show that the subject Is knocking at the c'.oors of congress and must sooner or later be conald-ered conald-ered upon Its merits and disposed of. Dike every great question, there Is a diversity of opinion, ranging all the way from no federal assistance lo the other extreme that "I'ncle Sam" should assume the whole burden.''' When the matter has been fully thrashed out, as It now appears It soon will be. It will be found that somewhere between these extreme a practical, equitable plan will b found, and around this public sent IV, nient will cryatallze. Without doubt! It will require at least some recognll tlon by and obligation upon the federal fed-eral government to do something substantial sub-stantial regarding such roads as It usee In Its rural mall service. One of the bills that Is attracting considerable attention and Is having some supitort Is a plan whpreby tht federal government will pay an annual rental for such roads aa It uses, provided pro-vided they are kept In good condition, the amount ranging from fifteen to thirty dollars per mile, depending upon the character of the road The most significant action, however, how-ever, that was taken at the recent session of congress was the resolu-tlon resolu-tlon of Oscar W. I'nderwood of Alabama, Ala-bama, the majority leader of the house,, for the ap)K)lntment of a Joint ' committee of congress to sit during ' the vacation and to go Into the sub- 1 Ject very fully to ascertain and determine de-termine the duty of the federal gov- ' eminent to the highways, and to what 1 extent. If any, and how. If at all. the 1 general government should take up 1 thla matter. Mr. 1'nderwoed hold ' that the first thing to do Is to ascer- ' tain from all the data that can be ' had exactly what ought to lie done. 1 considering all the circumstances and 1 factors that enter Into the problem. ' This resolution was referred to the committee on rules of the house, and this committee called a public hearing hear-ing and Invited various good roads 1 organizations and Individuals to be present and give the committee sug 1 gestiens upon the propriety, wisdom ' and scope that should be embraced 1 The writer was honored with an In- ' vltation to address the committee. Altogether perhaps eight or ten rep resentative men were heard from vart oua parts of the country. Whll there ' was some diversity of opinion, all I agreed that the appointment of the proposed committee was logical and should be regarded as the first step toward the solution of this great prob- ' lem, and that the committee should give ample time to Its consideration ( and b prepared to reKrt at th opening open-ing of congress In December next. The committee, without leaving their seats, unanimously passed the I resolution and ordered It presented f to the house for sdnptlon. It wss sug gested that parties Interested would b Invited to submit plans and argu- nients both for and against the propo- i altton with drafts of such bills ss the author wished to have considered, to the end that the committee should hsve before It all the data and dr- tails necessary upon which to reach , a conclusion. It was suit rested that a large part of the phvslcal and eel-entitle eel-entitle data that would naturally be required could be supplied by the ' rood roads bureau of the department 1 of agrtcullur. The favorable entcffme of thla bear Ing greatly pleased the good ruads advocates present, aed It really looks " aa though something definite woaid be done la the near future. v |