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Show TOlSEi BILL FOR GOOD ROAOS WASHINGTON, D. C. '"Excelled Judgment has been shown by Senator Townsend, chairman of the postoftice and post roads committee in the national na-tional highway bill reintrodueed in on-gress on-gress to meet the difficulties confronting confront-ing the enterprise in the eastern and far western states, respectively," sas President David Jameson of (ho American Automobile association, "It has been contended that some of the I eastern states have already substantially substan-tially progressed toward building their main highways and that a nation;:! measure should recognize and reward I this effort. It is also pointed out thai I in most of the far western states the federal government is a very heavy land owner, holding in some ten of the states mere than 50 per cent oi the ! area, and that this condition should entitle those states to a greater rela tive degree of consideration than would be given the states where the federal holdings are small. "Every mile of highway on the national na-tional system constructed by the itt tea of a standard deemed sufficient by t federal highway commission will be incorporated in the national system and an equivalent mileage of state highway constructed by the federal government by way of recompense This, "continues Mr. Jameson, "will fully recognize the great outlay and the progressive spirit of some of the states in main highway construction In the states where Uncle Sam is a great land owner the mileage of the national highway system will be increased in-creased according to the area held as federal domain. These two excellent provisions guarantee a common sense equity in the administration of the Townsend bill "Definite purpose with defirite means of accomplishment are specifically specific-ally set forth in the measure. A connected con-nected highway system of national importance im-portance limited to not less than two percenturo nor more than four per-centum per-centum of the highways throughout the nation Is the object clearly sel forth in the bill. Its method of ac- j compllshment Is through the medium of a federal highway commieslon with well defined responsibilities. There will ho no twilight zone in which the ; purpose and scope of the federal ac- 1 ti vi ties become confused or conflict-ing. conflict-ing. Equally definite is the provision 'that the system, because of its national importance, shall be paid for out of the federal treasury, and to this end an appropriation of $425,000,000 avail- I able over a five-year period is pro- ! vided. "While the federal agency is given j power and made responsible for sur-' sur-' veys, construction, repair and maintenance, main-tenance, a provision of the bill enables the commission to utilize the facilities of the state highway departments fcr this work on a practical basis of co-operat co-operat ion. "Another wise provision of the act la to meet conditions in those si itee which havo large sums from bond Is-sues Is-sues available for immediate expend! ture. In such cases the commission may arrange it with the state to go j ahead and build Its part of the nation al system and be reimbursed out of the , federal appropriations, ' The administration of the federal aid road act Is transferred from the secretary of agriculture to the federal highway commission but, all possibility possibi-lity of conflict with state laws is re-, I moved by requiring that the secretary of agriculture thall co-operate with! the commission whenever it is neces-sary neces-sary to meet the wording of state , ' statutes." |
