Page:Highways for the National Defense.pdf/17

16 As previously stated, th e appropriations to the War and Navy Departments are not generally available for expenditure on roads outside of the boundaries of military and naval reservations.

Funds made available under the Federal Highway Act are of three classes: (1) Funds authorized for improvements on the Federal-aid highway system; (2) funds authorized for the construction of secondary or feeder roads; and (3) funds authorized for the elimination of hazards at railroad grade crossings.

The authorized appropriation of each fund is apportioned among all States in accordance with a formula specified in the law. Initiative in the expenditure of these funds rests, by law, with the States, and no use of them for any purpose is possible without initiation by the respective State highway departments. In any case, expenditure for necessary defense-road purposes cannot exceed in any State the total of the three funds apportioned to the State.

For the purpose of survey and planning and the supervision of construction of defense roads, each of the funds may be used to pay the full cost of any such work on any road or street. Construction costs can be paid in full only on work appropriately financed with the grade-crossing funds. The Federal-aid and secondary-road funds must be matched by the States. None of the funds is available for the purchase of right-of-way. Moreover each of the funds, insofar as they are expended for construction, is limited in application to legally specified purposes- the Federal-aid funds to roads included in the Federal-aid system, the secondary-road funds to roads that can reasonably be described as secondary or feeder roads, and the grade-crossing funds to the elimination or protection of railroad grade crossings.

As already stated, the authority given by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act to the Commissioner of Work Projects to use not to exceed $25,000,000 of the relief appropriation in payment of other than labor costs on projects important to the national defense is practically available only in part for defense-road projects. Its use must always be modified by a reasonable regard for the primary purpose of the appropriation, which is to provide work relief for as many as possible of the unemployed. It cannot be used at all in any area except as the relief rolls afford an available supply of labor. Nor can it be used for any purpose except as that purpose is sponsored by some qualified and acceptable agency. Projects for road improvement within Army and Navy reservations may be sponsored by military and naval authorities. Improvements required outside such reservations must generally be sponsored by the civil authorities of State or local governments. In these authorities there is thus lodged a power of initiative somewhat similar to that possessed by State authorities under the Federal highway legislation.

MEASURES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF DEFENSE ROADS

Various measures have been devised to apply the provisions thus far made by the Federal Government for the improvement of roads