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Show I FOB GOOD MUDS, STATE 11 1TII Co-operation Much Appreciated Appre-ciated by Secretary of Agriculture. "I have come here today," the secretary sec-retary of agriculture recently told delegates from 37 states Interested In road Improvements, "mainly to express ex-press my appreciation of your very ready response to the request of the department of agriculture to give It the benefit of your experience in forming form-ing the rules ana regulations for the administration of the Federal Aid Road act- This law and another that the department is charged with the duty of enforcing, establishes a new principle of co-operation between fed-( fed-( eral and state officers. They are the ) only laws J recall which recognize and j insist upon this principle. Heretofore, ' federal and state officers have too fre quently looked at one another across the line, sometimes with apprehension as to what the other was going to do or think, sometimes with jealousy, not ! infrequently with friction. We serve the same people. They have a right f to the best service of the representa- tives of both jurisdictions. You repre-sent repre-sent the states. I represent the federal government. Together we are charged with the execution of a very difficult and important law. "I have occasionally met road officers of-ficers who, when the importance of good roads was emphasized, have said, 'Yes, but they cost so much.' Apparently Appar-ently thoy have not thought how much more bad roads cost, not only in dollars dol-lars and cents, but also in all those indirect ways for which you can make no definite calculation. "The main question that the people of the union arc immediately concerned con-cerned with is whether we shall get a dollar's result for every dollar wo spend for roads. I am quite sure, if we do so and we can convince the people peo-ple that we have done so, they will be willing to put much more money into good roads where they are needed. Therefore, the matter of administering this law, of devising good road sys-terns, sys-terns, of careful selection of roads, of formulating projects, of developing plans and specifications, of having all matters considered on their merit by competent men, seems to me to lie at the root of this business. If, as the result of this act, the people are induced in-duced fully to realize the necessity of placing skillful and experienced men in charge of road building and road maintenance, a great advance will have been made and the efforts of those who labored to secure the legislation legis-lation will have been rewarded. "I assume, as a matter of necessity, that this law will require the employment employ-ment in every state of experts, of real experts. This word is very much misused mis-used and abused, as the word 'theorist' 'theor-ist' is. I frequently hear a contrast drawn between the theorists and the practical men. There Is no basis for iL The classification ought to be into good theorists and bad theorists, between be-tween practical men and impractical men. A really good theorist is highly practical; and so is a real expert. Tho public is somewhat suspicious of experts, ex-perts, because, I think, so many people peo-ple pose as experts who are not. When the public sets an expert, aside, it Is worth while to fhqulro carefully into the expert's claims and competency. "I repeat that this act will necessitate neces-sitate trained intelligence In the serv. ice of the state, as well as in the service serv-ice of the federal government. It requires re-quires the state to accept it. That, as I understand it, Implies the assent of the state to every provision of the act. One of these provisions Is that projects, proj-ects, plans, specifications and contracts con-tracts shall be submitted for approval to the department of agriculture; and I have a suspicion that plans and specifications spec-ifications will not be approved unless they are submitted by people who know about such things- So the assent as-sent of the state involves the calling of trained men Into the service of every state which is now without them. "The duty will rest upon you, gentlemen, gen-tlemen, who represent the states, of informing the people as to the meaning mean-ing of this legislation and as to the procedure under it, because the initiative initia-tive under the law lies with you. We are directed to co-operate with you, with the state through the state highway high-way department. It is your duty, if your state accepts the law, to agree with us on roads to be constructed, and to submit projects, plans and specifications. spec-ifications. Therefore, individuals, associations as-sociations and counties will of necessity neces-sity take up such matters directly with you, and we shall hear from them through you for the most parL" |