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Show ruulic noaos. (Praiared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) Construction of public roads continues con-tinues rapidly. During the first quarter quar-ter of the current fiscal year, or the three months ending September 30, highway projects in 38 states were approved ap-proved and federal aid funds aggregating aggregat-ing $10,389,516.58 were allotted toward their construction by the bureau ot public roads, United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture. Additional projects pro-jects have been approved since Sep tember 30, and others are under consideration. con-sideration. The length of the projects approved during the three months is 1,400 miles, exclusive of a number of important bridges which, when constructed, will measure slightly more than two miles In length, all told. Total cost of the ap-proved ap-proved projects is estimated at ?25,-353,848.39 ?25,-353,848.39 ; total cost of the bridges at $1,478,146.77, bringing the grand total up to 526,831,994.72. Of this sum the states will pay about $16,500,000, or more than three-fifths of the total. Up to the beginning of the current fiscal year the department has approved ap-proved projects totaling 35,402 miles in length, costing approximately $587,-321,323. $587,-321,323. Of the total cost of construction construc-tion federal-aid funds had been allotted to the extent of $202,764,414. The foregoing figures cover mileage and cost of all roads approved by the department de-partment since the Inception of federal fed-eral aid. Considering the allotments since the beginning of the current fiscal fis-cal year, the department has approved, from the Inception of federal aid tc September 30 last, roads totaling 36,802 miles In length and costing $614,- 153,318. Toward their construction the federal government has allotted a grand total of $213,153,931, or more than 34 per cent. Projects approved during the three months ending September 30 are located lo-cated in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas. California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mich-igan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mis- LA -p IQ "s S"-l fc i yjkwi Accidents Are to Be Expected at a Grade Crossing of This Kind. souri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Hamp-shire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vir-ginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin Wis-consin and Wyoming. Most of the mileage thus approved embraces graded earth, sand-clay and gravel roads. Of those types of roadway, road-way, the department approved projects totaling 1,044.7 miles. The cost of constructing these roads, comparatively comparative-ly small, will total $10,949,286.17 it is estimated, and of that sum a total of $4,383,905.62 has been allotted from federal-aid funds. Various kinds of macadam roads, bituminous bi-tuminous macadam predominating, total 90.45 miles in length. Construe I Political and Economic Articles to Leadii Authority on the National G Copyright, Wester XIII. UP TO YOU AND CONGRESS At the present time it would be a misnomer to speak of the national government having a personnel system sys-tem at all. The reform accomplished by the establishment o the civil service serv-ice commission and the merit system has touched but one phase of the personnel per-sonnel problem, and that but partially entrance Into the government service. serv-ice. Practically nothing has been done In the way of erecting the government services into careers that will attract and retain efficient men. Bad as conditions con-ditions were In this respect before the war, they have become many times worse during and since that event. The correction of these evils presents pre-sents a problem of great complexity. It cannot be achieved by a halfhearted half-hearted or half-way tinkering with the present system. Nothing but a thorough thor-ough overhauling of the whole personnel person-nel system and the establishment of a new system covering all phases ol the question and embodying the most approved principles of personnel administration ad-ministration will meet the needs ol the situation. Fortunately a beginning begin-ning has been made In this direction It at least furnishes a starting point for action looking to the giving to the government of the personnel system that it must have if government work Is to be even measurably well done. The situation now Is that there ii an insistent demand on the part ol the pukllc that the whole administration administra-tion of?the national government be pul upon a more efficient basis, and thai the present waste of public funds, resulting re-sulting from present defective organ ization and methods, shall cease; thai congress Is alive to this demand anc has made a start toward meeting it that the fundamental defects in th( existing system are well known ; anc that the direction efforts looking t reform should take are clearly estab llshed. The responsibility Is thu: squarely up to congress. If the problem that confronts con gress in securing this laudable end i: analyzed It will be found that tb fundamental reforms are : The re form by congress Itself of its own or ganlzatlon and methods of procedure the entire revision of the present sys tem under which the financial need: of the government are determined ant provided ; the setting up of an agenc; and procedure through which the ex pendlture of public funds may bi properly controlled and congress bi given that information regarding sucl expenditures which It must have If I EASY COM Back in 1912, when Mr. Taft wa President, and when the gross ex pendltures of the government wer about one-quarter of what they ar now, he became exercised and con cerned about the higgledy-piggledy, uc scientific, disorderly, grab-bag method by which your money was expendei for public purposes. He said thei what Is equally true now, that th activities of the national governmen "are almost as varied as those of th entire business world. The operation of the government affect the Interes of every person living within th Jurisdiction of the United States. It organization embraces stations am centers of work located In every clt and In many local subdivisions of th country. "This vast organization has neve been studied in detail as one plec of administrative mechanism. Neve have the foundations been laid for thorough consideration of the relation |
