38 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The 1919 program for Federal aid road building is greater than 

 any previous annual road-building accomplishment in this country. 

 It is so great, in fact, that it undoubtedly will be necessary for many 

 of the States to postpone until 1920 the expenditure of the Federal 

 funds because of the necessity of developing experienced contracting 

 and engineering organizations from the stagnant conditions brought 

 about by the war. Under the terms of the act, the apportionment 

 to a State for any one fiscal year remains available for expenditure 

 until the close of the succeeding year. It is estimated that the funds 

 already provided will be sufficient to finance next year a program 

 more than four times greater than any that has ever been under- 

 taken. As indicated, $294,000,000 has been made available from 

 the Federal Treasury, and it is roughly estimated that the State 

 funds to be expended cooperatively on road projects under the terms 

 of the Federal act will aggregate $385,000,000. 



It is also true that some States will expend large sums in excess of 

 those to be used on cooperative projects and that their several sub- 

 divisions will provide large additional amounts. It is interesting to 

 note that up to July 1, 1919, State bond issues aggregating $224,800,- 

 000 had been authorized and approved by popular vote and that 

 provision has been made for voting next year on proposals for the 

 issuance of additional State road bonds to the extent of approxi- 

 mately $314,000,000. During the present and the next fiscal year, 

 there will be made available for road improvements at least $1,000,- 

 000,000. Certainly, few laws, if any, have produced greater results, 

 either in terms of expenditures for a good purpose or in terms of 

 helpful legislation and machinery, than the Federal aid road act. It 

 seems clear, in the circumstances, that the principal limiting factors 

 in the 1920 program will be those of rail transportation for, and 

 production of, suitable road materials, the contractors' organizations 

 available, and the labor supply. 



NO ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY NEEDED. 



The suggestion has been made that the Federal supervision of 

 highways should be taken from the Department of Agriculture 

 and placed under a Federal highway commission. A bill having 

 this purpose in view has been introduced in the Senate of the 

 United States. It provides for a Federal highway commission 

 of three, each receiving a salary of $10,000 a year, whose duty, 

 among other things, w^ould be to establish, improve, repair, and 



