364 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



exchange at cost price can be made. Whether that is due to 'the 

 fact that the companies are no longer making these i)articular parts 

 and need them for the repair of the ohler models still in use or not I 

 do not know, but the proposition would be in the interests of econ- 

 omy. 



USE OF MOTOR VEHICLES IN ROAD-BUILDING ACTIVITIES. 



The use of motor vehicles is absolutely essential for the econ(miical 

 and eflicicnt conduct of the road-buihfing activities of the bureau. 

 The number of engineers assit^ned to each State to give general 

 inspection to the conduct of the Federal aid road projects is very 

 limited. and each man is expected to cover a large territory- and 

 keep in personal touch with all the projects in that territory. Also, 

 the building of forest highways is dependent upon motor trans- 

 portation. Many projects are built far away from railroads and 

 from the necessary supplies. The efficiency of the work of field 

 surve}' parties, inspectitin engineers, superintendents of construction, 

 and, in fact, of the whole organization of the bureau engaged upon 

 road work is predicated upon adequate transportation over the 

 highways. In Washington and at several points in the field we have 

 established shops in which we are attempting to repair and reha- 

 l)ilitate these used machines, so that they can be distributed and 

 used in the service where needed. Many of the machines taken 

 over are fit only for such salvage parts as may be secured from them. 

 Our principal use is for cars of the latter type, such as Fords and 

 Dodges, except where it is necessary to send out a larger party on 

 surveys, and we believe that a real saving can be made if authority 

 herein re(| nested is granted. 



The number of cars in actual service varies from month to month, 

 depending upon the amount of road building that is going forward, 

 the number of sur\''ey parties in operation, and the number of forest 

 highway construction projects. Our November report shows in 

 actual operation 64 Fords and 63 cars of other makes in use on gen- 

 eral operations, and 48 assigned to specific projects. Because of the 

 age and the use which has been made of these cars, we estimate 

 there siiould be at least a 30 per cent replacement during the fiscal 

 year, and we request therefore specific authority to expend not to 

 exceed S29,()()0 from the administrative Federal aid fund for this 

 purpose. 



Mr. AxDKHsox. Do 1 understand tiiat tiiis proviso applies only to 



Fiassenger-carrying vehicles which were turned over by the War 

 )epartment ami retained by the Secretary of Agriculture for use in 

 connection witli liigiiway work ^ 



.Mi. .M.\( Donald. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Andeusox. Were there any passenger vehicles turned t)ver to 

 tlieS(»ites^ 



Mr. .MacDoxai.d. Yes, sir. 



Mr. AxDKKsox. But this does not apply to them f 



.\Ir. MacDoxai.d. No, sir; such vehi<les belong to the several 

 States mid are subject lo tlie jurisdiction of the State highway 

 dennrtnients. 



Sir. AxDKUsox. ('an you give us an idea as to how many machines 

 are involved in this proposition^ As far as this laiiiruajre goes, thev 



nil'' j^ r. J-. 



uu'olved. 



1 can see where machines which have i)een oocrated for two or 

 three yeai-K, and probably were not very good when vou got them, 



