BUREAU OF PUBLIC KOADS. 493 



With a view to making use of the open-top cars which ordinarily 

 stand idle during the early spring months, the State highwa}^ depart- 

 ments were advised to let construction contracts early, and con- 

 tractors were urged to make early shipments, storing the materials 

 for future use. This effort undoubtedly contributed to the fact that 

 in the spring of 1920 there was little if any surplus of open-top car 

 equipment, whereas in the spring of 1919 upwards of 250,000 open-top 

 cars stood idle for a number of weeks. 



With the return of the railroads to private control cooperative 

 relations were established with the Interstate Commerce Commis- 

 sion and the Car Service Division of the American Railroad Associa- 

 tion, in order to continue the work which had been carried on with 

 the Railroad Administration. Everything possible has been done to 

 assist the State highway departments in meeting their rail transpor- 

 tation difficulties. It is apparent that for several years the trans- 

 portation of road building materials is going to be the limiting factor 

 in our highway improvement program. It is imperative that the 

 maximum possible service be secured from the available equipment. 

 To accomplish this result the cooperation of the shipper, the contrac- 

 tor, the State highway departments, the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission, the railroads, and this bureau is necessary. The bureau 

 is shaping its organization so that it wdll be possible in the future to 

 render greater service in this connection than it has been able to in 

 the past. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN METHODS OF ADMINISTRATION TO EXPEDITE WORK. 



The administrative work connected with the approval of plans, 

 specifications, and estimates, and the checking and passing of vou- 

 chers for Federal-aid work performed became so great during the year 

 that every effort had to be made to devise and adopt administrative 

 methods calculated to facilitate the work. 



During the course of the year several administrative arrangements 

 have been introduced which have much improved the operation of the 

 law and made possible a degree of harmony in cooperation and an 

 amount of completed work not before attained under the Federal-aid 

 act. 



1 . The arrangement provided for in section 8 of regulation 5 that States may proceed 

 with construction on recommendation of the plans by the district engineer'has been 

 extended to cover revisions of plans even when the re^'isions were not of a minor 

 nature but involved additional Federal aid. 



2. Arrangements for sectionalizing projects have been developed to a point where 

 the widest possible latitude is given to the States in placing work under contract by 

 sections and completing the sections indepejidently of each other. At the s^Tiie time 

 the nuiiil)er of project statements and project agreements has "been substantially 

 reduced. 



3. State representatives ha\ e been place! in every State where the amount of Fed- 

 eral-aifl work done would justify such action. 



4. Districts 1, 2, and 3 in the Far West were di^ided into six districts, numbered 1, 

 2, 3, 11, 12, and 13 for the purpose of improving the administration of the act. 



5. Arrangements have been made for the use of preliminary instruction surveys 

 covering heavy items of construction which may be apjiroved by the bureau before 

 complete plans for the details of the work are })repared. This arrangement enables the 

 State to begin construction at an earlier date than would otherwise be possible. 



0. After consultatioji with tlie Solicitor of agriculture, it has been found possible in 

 many cases to draft project agreemcats and suljiuit thom to the State already signed by 

 the Secretary of Agriculture. This makes it unnecessary to return the papers to 

 Washington for signature, and was done to enable the States to submit claims and 

 receive ])ayments of Federal aid promptly. 



