Show I H f NEW ROAD BILL BILLI BILLIS I IS ATTACKED ATTACKS Rep Colton of Utah Fosters Fos Fos- Fosters j- j Bill Which Limits Federal Aid Says EW I EW YORK TORK April April The 12 12 The i Colton bill Introduced In the house of representation es by b Congressman Con Con- Congressman gressman Colton ot of Utah recently has been widely Idely mIsunderstood 1 according to J 7 r-e r Newton ton Gunn of ot the tho Lincoln HIghway This bill while drawn by a western representative and de- de d signed to- to tomake make It tt possible po ible for Cor or the United States government to c e e- e tend an even cen c c cn en greater measure of oC caid aId to the western states for tor high I way y construction Is la not In Gunns Gunne opinion broad enough In its pro pro- long adequately to remedy the situation which Is fa holding back the completion o of many Important I roads in the west LIMIT AID The Tho Lincoln Highway tion was waa one of oC o the which worked hardest to bring about the passage ot of the federal aid act in 1916 and the subsequent passage o of oC the federal ay act In 1921 sa so says e s Gunn The latter act net very properly gives the called called so-called public land states ot of the nest est I 1 e c those states stales In which o public lands oC acorn acorn- o the d do States com com- comprise more than 5 Ii per cent of o the th total prise total area of ot the state I treatment In the tha distribution I of oC the tho mone money appropriated b by congress to aid construe construe- construction tion It would seem therefore that tile the association would be bo tt II strong of oC the passage ot of the th proposed Colton Collon amendments The Tn reason It Is not is that the bill unnecessarily restricts the application application tion of the additional aid pro proposed pro pro- proposed proposed posed Under the e law the pub pub- pub public he lic land states stales e per percentages ot of the tho cost of ot their road construction from Crom the federal ot of the treasury The amount United States government pay pays depends upon the ratio between the area ot of public land IlInd In the and the area of oC the state In Nevada where over o 90 per percent percent cent ot of the total area ot of the state Is public land the government nt no now pays pass pa s 87 67 per cent of oC the cost ot of road construction and the state Itself must only 13 per cent The Colton bill would amend the federal highway I act by providing that the public land states may upon request re- re I t teh e from the federal govern govern- government government government ment as high as per cent of oC the cost coat ot of any federal aid con con- construction construction construction on the primary system The rhe bill also removes es the present limit on the amount ot of federal aId In dollars permitting the ex- ex expenditure expenditure ex expenditure ot of any sum aunt per mile the state and the government agree upon BID DD D B D FE The The Tha whole difficulty with the the fact that It Colton bill lies lo In restricts the application of 1001 ItI I per cent federal aid to the Inar mary mary- federal aid S 8 Bittern oC o the public land states In so doing It establishes hes a distinction between and fed fed- federal the prima primary oral eral aid highways In Inthe the western states which has not heretofore The The distinction between mary and secondary federal aid highways authorized by b the fed fed- federal federal fed federal eral highway act has no real sig- sig significance sig significance The federal aid system ot of highways comprises 7 per cent of oC the total highways In each state Of Ot this 7 1 per cent three sevenths three three- sevenths or 3 2 per cent of oC total total total- r toad road mileage of oC the state stale Is terme termed y the primary or intercalate tote high high- highway highway sevenths four of oC wa way system and the 4 per cent of oC the total road mileage of the state Is termed I the secondary or system s l I NO DIFFERENCE EORE There has been no distinction between primary and secondary highways In la the western states stales of large luge area arell and email small population I I In these states slates the 7 1 per cent feature fea- fea feature fea feature ture of oC the he highway act so limited the total mileage of oC federal aid highway that both primary and secondary I Mallon nation atlon were required to take care of the tho most moot vitally Itally Important toads loads In the states The type typo of oC construction being built on the primary and sec bec f aid highways high ithe of oC the w western tern states tates In Is Identical Great difficulties have havo been be experienced In endeavoring to bring about the completion of th the necessary through roads roada In th o sparsely sparely populated states stat ot of the tho tt west cst As these roads are aro ot or na- na national national Importance It Is sound polIcy to provide by law that In Inthe the tho discretion ot of o the secretary of oC agriculture the United Stator States government gov- gov government can pay per cent of oC the cost ot of certain sections on the 0 federal aid S system stem where hore tho the state requests such a measure ot of allBut aid But Dut to assume that this pc per percent percent cent measure of or aid Is required require only on th the primary highways of oC the federal aid system is utter utter- utterly utterly ly without basis There Thera Is le difficulty In under under- understanding understanding standing h why tho the bill was ass drawn by a western estern to it to 10 strict this further measure of ot aid ad to a a very ery small part ot of the necessary necessary sary highway improvement ement re- re required In the tho west est It Il has been bee assumed by some that the tho meas- meas measure measure measure ure Is largely designed In low or of Its I to aid the tho stale slate slat e ot of Utah which Is having ha ln ha difficulty In financing even e Its 26 per ceno e cent nt of oC the cost coal of oC the highly expensive sive Improvement of oC the primary 0 between Salt Lake City Cit I and Vendo Wendover er and also the Im- Im Improvement improvement provement necessary In southern southen Llah |