40 AlSrisfUAL EEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTTTKB. 



highway departments considered vitally necessary to the transporta- 

 tion facilities of the country. Such programs were submitted by all 

 of the States, and evidence of the thoroughness with which high- 

 way projects were considered is disclosed in the statement that, while 

 $14,550,000 were available for expenditure on post roads from the 

 passage of the act, only $425,445 were paid from Federal funds on all 

 projects. Projects, however, were approved for each State involving 

 sufficient amounts to protect the States in their apportionments. 



At the same time a cooperative arrangement was effected, at the 

 request of the Capital Issues Committee, under which engineers 

 of the Department were made available for inspecting and reporting 

 upon proposed highway, irrigation, and drainage bond issues. This 

 work assumed considerable proportions almost immediately. In- 

 spections were made of 126 highway projects, involving bond issues 

 to the amount of $49,276,366; irrigation projects to the number of 

 25, involving $18,279,060; and drainage bonds to the number of 30, 

 involving $19,356,970, or total bond issues of $86,912,396. 



In view of the enormous amount of bituminous materials, com- 

 prising oils, asphalts, and tars, used in highway work, and particu- 

 larly in highway maintenance, it became early in the season a matter 

 of much concern as to what effect the conservation of fuel oils and 

 tars would have upon the vitally important problem of highway 

 maintenance. Accordingly, the matter was taken up with the Fuel 

 Administration and an arrangement perfected whereby the highways 

 of essential importance should receive enough bituminous material 

 to provide for adequate maintenance and, where necessary, to permit 

 construction and reconstruction. The cooperation became actively 

 effective on May 13, 1918. From that time until the close of the 

 fiscal year 2,235 applications, calling for 75,000,000 gallons of bitumi- 

 nous material, were received from States, counties, and munici- 

 palities, and of this amount approval was given and permits 

 issued for 58,000,000 gallons. A short time before the close of the 

 fiscal year, however, this cooperation was merged into the larger 

 activities of the United States Highways Council. 



UNITED STATES HIGHWAYS COUNqiL. 



In order to coordinate ^he activities of various Government agen- 

 cies so far as they relate to highways; to better conserve materials, 

 transportation, money, and labor; to eliminate delays and uncer- 



