Show u FEDERAL L ROAD nOAD MONEY That the next congress will seriously serl seri consider the proposed plan o oa cc 01 a national system of Interstate interstate- highways is now assured This action action ac ac- tion was predicted by the senates senate's refusal to approve as a rider o othe on the postoffice appropriations bill th the voted by the house hous without any restrictions other othe than now embraced in the tho federal aid road act which has failed tailed In various directions to satisfy many of its original adherents While the federal money in some states stated aided aides materially in accelerating state slate aye aye- systems systems toms of roads in other states the rich counties matched the dollars from the national treasury treasury treasury treas treas- ury with the result that the poor counties were still left in n the mud Though the organized motorists cooperated with the state highway officials In urging the federal aid road oad act the two groups were not In n entire accord in the recent legislative legislative legis- legis effort Both were agreed that joint Joint federal and state money hould should be bo expended upon roads of Interstate Importance but the highway highway high high- way vay officials refused to insist upon such uch a provision or to support the tits Townsend Idea of creating a commission commission com COIn mission to lay layout out a national scheme of main roads connecting the several several several sever sever- al states What caused some opposition inand Inand in inand and out of congress to the appropriation was the fear fea that Its unrestricted adoption would woul d I fasten the federal aid method upon the country for an Indefinite period One member of the house didn't hesitate to say that the accord of th the e senate would do exactly this thing Debated upon its merits something something some thing not possible under suspension n o of the rules those who favor a an n Interstate system and a commission n na believe that congress will adopt a comprehensive plan for tor the undertaking undertaking undertaking under under- taking has the approval of farm commercial automobile and various s other organizations Argument 1 In n favor of the appropriation centralIzed centralized centralized central central- on the plea that three forty o legislatures were in session and that tha t unless the federal government supplied supplied supplied sup sup- plied additional money at once onto the road program in many states would be retorted Information presented to the senate senate sen sen- ate ate indicated that on en December 31 1920 only of federal aid money remained but that by July next this amount would be entirely covered by the states Those opposing dwelt upon the fact that of the total nearly nearly nearly near near- ly still remained in the United States treasury November 30 1920 The facts also disclosed ed that only had been paid out although other contracts had been completed and not paid for tor Many senators tok the stand that as long as the bulk of the money still In the treasury that the road building of or orthe the program country country country coun coun- try would not be s seriously sly Interfered ed with by delaying consideration o of or good roads until the next congress convenes ronneL Commenting upon this situation Chairman George C. C DIehl of the AA AA A. A A A. A. A god roads board thus summarizes summa izes the matter Apparently instead of at the states waiting to see what congress is s go go- ing to do congress now proposes to wait walt and see what the states are goIng go- go lug Ing to do especially ll the seventeen states which are are depending largely larger y upon their counties to raise the money money money mon mon- ey to enable them to cooperate with the federal government in building roads It IL is high time that these thes e sta states es which have failed to function as states should wipe out their paper pape r highway departments and provide some real money with which to build real roads utilizing advantageously whatever aid may come from th the e federal government either in the form of entire cost and subsequent maintenance of interstate highways or an amplifying of or the present presen t half half- half and arrangement |