BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS. 



395 



Applications for approval, including those which had been sub- 

 mitted to the Office of Public Roads prior to the establishment of the 

 council, reached a total of 7,307. Many of these applications were 

 considered several times by reason of requests for reconsideration or 

 by reason of requirements by the council of further information, so 

 that the total number of considerations aggregated 9,712. No state- 

 ment as to the exact number of approvals or disapprovals can be given, 

 as many cases were merely deferred and not disapproved, others were 

 conditionally approved or disapproved, others were reconsidered, and 

 still others were affected by an amendment issued September 26 by 

 the War Industries Board to circular 21 permitting the completion 

 to November 1 of projects substantially under way. Still other proj- 

 ects were pending at the time the council ceased its activities, and in 

 consequence it is impossible to segregate those applications which 

 might be considered as definitely disapproved. A quantitative table 

 dealing with the materials, transportation, and funds involved and 

 showing such proportion as had been definitely approved has been 

 prepared, however, and is submitted as follows : 



Item. 



Unit. 



Requested. 



Approved. 



Capital issues' Dollars. 



Road oil Galloas. 



Tar. 



-do. 



Asphalt ! Tons. 



Cement ; Barrels 



Brick I M 



Steel, structural ! Pounds 



Steel , reinforcing do 



Cruslif d stone I Tons 



Gravel ' do 



Sand and screenings ' do 



Slas do 



Cornigated-lron culverts ' Linear feet. 



Pilinp,tiral)er : ' do 



Pipe, vitrified, drain ' do 



Pipe. cast-iron, drain do 



Lumber j Feet b. m., 



Granite blocks Blocks 



Miscellaneous Tons 



Cars, open top I Cars 



Cars, box t do 



Cars, flat ! do 



538,075 

 280,401 

 603,832 

 190,207 

 657, 360 

 109,125 

 663,250 

 281,275 

 639, 819 

 204,552 

 216,481 

 520, 152 

 107, 815 

 164, 102 

 165,419 

 47,052 

 530, lf;6 

 420,500 

 123,206 

 55,059 

 8,543 

 3,705 



7,334,821 



44,269,826 



53,533,441 



159,475 



2, 139, 769 



52,239 



694,820 



3,231,301 



l,827,7i'5 



432,707 



982,479 



250,428 



23,704 



43,588 



99,690 



43,740 



1,651,635 



156,500 



49,513 



26,361 



3,376 



605 



Includes applications acted on by Bureau of Public Roads prior to formal orjranization of United States 

 Highways Council. Requested $28,748,084, approved $3,114,381. The Capital Issues Committee has jtris- 

 dictionandthe Councilservedmerelyasanaidtothe committee. 



THE FEDERAL AID ROAD ACT. 



LEGISLATION. 



A careful canvass of all the State highway departments made after 

 the original Federal aid road act of July 11, 1916, had been in effect 

 for more than two years, indicated clearly that there were three limi- 

 tations which were preventing this law from becoming an effective 

 method of procedure between the Federal Government and the indi- 

 vidual States. In its conception this law was founded upon the prin- 

 ciple of cooperation for the purpose of stimulating road production 

 and of supporting and aiding the States in their individual efforts, 

 but it was found that practically all of the States were limited in 

 proceeding along the lines of an adequate program: (1) By the post 

 I'oad requirements; (2) by the limitation of Federal participation to 



