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Show FEDERAL ROAD AID EXPLAINED! Misconception of Conditions in Utah Cleared Up By B. P. R. Newspapers in the intermountsfn redon durln;; the week of September 25, cnrrled : news Item showing' that jthe state of ITmh had the least mileage cf completed federal aid roads of an' .state In that region, according to B. J-Pinch, J-Pinch, district engrlneer of the v. s. bureau of in. nl. This Information was based ort a report issued nt the end bf the month of August by the t S burenti of public road! A tabulation (carried by several papers was as follows: fol-lows: 1'nder Com- Con-pletPd Con-pletPd slruetlor) Total. Utah !2.s iss.s 291.: Montana .'75 1 1-19.0 721.1 Iduho 409.5 57.5 4G7.1 I Wyoming 45.1.1 259 7 71 2 s : Colorado 503 6 1 77 3 -180.9 New Mexico ... 529.9 530.5 1090.4 Arizona 201.5 ,42.i 443.9 Nevada 1K2.0 120 0 302.0 ' Touils . . ..2747.5 1734. S 4482.3 "Some misconception seems to have 'arisen as a result of this report," said Mr Pinch, ' ne newspaper also .:ir- rled ni) editorial opposing federal aid for roads, on ihe ground that It n-a n-a 'pork barrel' proposition; lha: Nevada with a smaller population was receiving more federal aid than t'tah The writer evidently was not familiar with the method of allotment of thest tunds and ihM statement may serve to correct the misapprehension. ( l I PLAIN l) "The original federal aid road act passed by congress In 191 G contains the provision thit the secretary of agriculture, after deducting 3 per ecu for administration purposes, shall apportion ap-portion the i-iii i.ii'l' r of tin- appropriation appro-priation for eaeh fiscal year In the following manner: one-third in tio-intio tio-intio which the area of each atato bears to the total area of the stnte3, one-thlril In the rutlo Which the population pop-ulation of each state bears to the total population of all th" states as shown by the I 'test available federal census; n -:hird In the ratfo which the mileage of rural delivery and star routes in -a h state bears to the total mileage of rural delivery and star r. utes in all the states. Funds so apportioned ap-portioned stan I to the credit of the state unices tbe lime limit of the appropriation ap-propriation expires. No state has yet Ior: funds from this appropriation bv expiration Of the time limit, so that there has been n transfer In any way of fundj apportioned to a state. "The above method of allotment of fvderal aid finis has been continued by Slibceedlns nets passed In 1919 and 1921. There Is now standing to the credit of the state of Utah all funds which have been apportioned in the above manner and which have not bien expended In the state by th State highway department. "The misconception which has arisen Is due to the fact that the stat of T'tah has not expended Its fund while other western states have used nearly all their apportionment. The progress on l"tah roads Is now such that all available funds will shortly be used aad the state will assume Its proper place in the record of complete,! com-plete,! prdjfei ts "The question Is asked. Why vhould the federal government appropriate funds for road construction In the States? There are many good reasons but Ihe must logical ones are as fol-lows: fol-lows: The federal government bears the cost of tin transportation of the mails and na other thing affects this cost more directly than the condition of the roads. Th s Is clearly shown in Utah !n the case of mail transpor- Jtation to the Uintah basin, the territory terri-tory around Montlcello and that1 around Kanab. If good roads were : constructed to the outlying districts jthe cost of mail delivery would bc 1 greatly reduced. I "The preat increase In automobile I transportation has changed the road .problem from a local to a national on-It on-It is probably not exasperation to say 'that of the cars which travel over a 'distance ot l"i miles in anv direction m tin- state of Utah over CO pnr cent ; bear licenses from other states. In other words the interest of neighboring neighbor-ing states In Utah roads, so far as travel over a considerable distance Is (concerned. Is greater than that of the state Itself. This interest Is so great that there would be ample justification I for one state to expend its funds for 'road construction In another state 1 through which Its citizens must travel if such a procedure were possible 'Since It Is not. the logical procedure jis to expend funds through federal 'chan is. This Is particularly true in Itlie intermountaln district when- rev -cnue for road put poses nre small In proportion to the area. Tourists and 'business men from eastern states de-,slre de-,slre to travel through this territory to j reach western points and vice versa. In this Intermountaln district the ap-! ap-! plication of federal funds to road const con-st metlon Is the logical method of ln-1 ln-1 creasing ihe development of the entire , country and results In the greatest good to the greatest number." 1 |