Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1922-07-02 | Page 10 | Millions for Road Building

MILLIONS FOR ROADJpiia Federal Aid Assured for Next Three Years By Congress Federal aid In the construction of highways was definitely assured for three years more when members of the house and senate voted last week to authorize appropriations of $50,-000,000, $50,-000,000, $65,000,000 and $75,000,000, respectively, for the fiscal years of 1923, 1924 and 1925. Further sum of $6,500,000 were voted for each of the fiscal years 1924 and 1925 for forest road construction, the funds Tor this work for 1923 having been cared for in earlier legislation The authorization for 1923 carries with it definite authority to the secretary sec-retary of agriculture to enter into j contractual relations with state high i way commissioners for road construe I lion. The appropriations will be made ; under the provisions of the federal aid act of 1916 as amended in 1919 and 1921, which means that the ex ' pendlturcs inust.b made on those highways comprising the 7 per cenl system of main roads The most important change In the organic act la an amendment which limits federal aid participation to 16f-L'50 16f-L'50 per mile for 1923 and to 15,000 pel- mile thereafter This contrasts with the $20,000 per mile maximum) I of 1919 and the $10,000 limit of 1916. j !The limitation will work no hardship ! In average conditions, but for spe-. I clal situations where traffic has be-1 come very heavy it is not improbable that some changes will have to bej made at a later session of congress to 'prevent tho waste resultant from too1 low a type of construction. Other; changes In the law permit the government govern-ment to Join in the construction of railroad underpasses, and provide heavy penalties for misuse of govern ment funds. The government has now appro-priated appro-priated or authorized a total road fund of $587,000,000 since the pas sage of the federal aid act in 1916 ; Figures of the bureau of public load sho wthat construction has been pro-' ceeding for the last three years at the rate of approximately $SO.00O.00O aunually in federal funds and as state organrzaitons have now become well . stabilized, it is anticipated thut this rate will be exceeded in 1923 and sue 1 ceeding years.