198 



ANNUAL. REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Construction and improvement of roads and trails ' from the 10 per cent, section S, and 



cooperative funds, hy States. 



I Does not include bridge or maintenance work. 



2Koad construction, 1, 016.39 miles; road repair.s, 842.76 miles; trail ccnstrncticn, 119. 52 miles; trail re- 

 pairs, 11 miles. 

 3 Road construction, 77.70 milss; road repairs, 183.90 miles: trail ccnstruction, 3 miles. 

 ■1 Entirely road construction. 



Immediately upon the cessation of hostilities, plans were made for 

 utilizing as far as practicable all funds available for road survey and 

 construction. This was not only to make up as far as possible for 

 the almost entire stoppage of w'ork during the two years of the w'ar, 

 but, even more, to provide an opportunity for the employment of 

 labor released from war activities and temporarily idle. It was 

 expected that labor would be plentiful and more efficient than in 

 1918. Actually, however, it has been difficult to obtain a suflicient 

 supply, the cpiality has not been of the best, and, as a rule, the wage 

 rate has not decreased. The cost of materials has on the whole 

 increased. 



In preparing the plans for the calendar year 1919, it was found 

 that as a result of the construction costs being increased almost 100 

 per cent, the amount of available money, even though almost four 

 years' appropriations were available for use, would be sufficient for 

 hardly more w^ork than could be financed in 1917. The situation was 

 greatly relieved on February 28, 1919, wdien the Post Offiicc appro- 

 ])riation act was ])assed. Section S of this act appropriates S3, 000,000 

 for each of the fiscal years 1919, 1920, and 1921, for expenditures in 

 cooperation with the ]:)ro]:>er officials of a State, Territory, insular 

 possession, or county, in the survey, construction, and maintenance 

 of roads and trails within or ])artly within National Forests, when 

 necessary for the use and development of resources or desirable for 

 the proper administration, protection, and improvement of any 

 Forest. The appropriation is available until cxjiended. Cooperation 

 may be waived by the Secretary of Agriculture under certain condi- 

 tions for a project located entirely within the Forest boundaries. 



