Federal Aid for Highway Improvement

In front 01 my desk hangs a map of the United States* That ob long of printed paper about four by five feet in sise represents 3,025,789 square miles of territory in which dwell more than 110 mil lions of people.Within the boundaries are many extremes of topography, of population density, of accumulated wealth, of natural resources, of historical Interest, of individual temperaments and ideals, of climatic conditions, of employment, of educational advancement, and of govern mental and community organization.Kot withstanding the extreme varia tions in all these characteristics and their multitude of gradations, the people of the United States can and do act with wonderful singleness of purpose to accomplish a great national undertaking.During the months following April 5, 1917, until November 11, 1918, the whole world came to a full realisation of the great truth signified by the simple term "united".Possessions, endeavor, lives were devoted by a united free people to a great and single cause.Here was a great crisis, one in which old established and strongly entrenched governmental and human institutions, v.ere overturned and destroyed, and every human emotion stirred to the depths.During all those long drawn out months, when a whole nation was intent upon a single purpose, and •while every major activity was centered upon war and war'work, it is astonishing that a constructive program more extended than has ever been.;,undertaken by any nation has been formulated.; The war period definitely marked the end of one period in highway improvement, a period of very .gradualdevelopment of highway organiza tions, of inadequate support funds, of tremendous opposition from the • taxpayers, and cf road improvements on any adequate scale confined to a few of the eastern and extreme western states.The end of the war -./ marked the opening of a new and far different period of highway develop--?ment, a nation-wide movement for highway improvement, of such tremendous proportions that its significance is not yet comprehended.The people, of the United States from coast to coast have with singleness of .purpose turned from a great destructive effort to a great constructive activity.The demand of a whole nation must in the next decade be met with improved transportation facilities.It is a popular movement* The public is liberal In its financial support, is ignorant of the.im mense physical task it has imposed upon road building organizations, and will, unless fully informed, be impatient of -results evidenced by ' the number of miles of highway that can be completed each year under pre s e nt c ond i 11 ons * Under the Federal Aid plan the road building organizations offi cially responsible for the conduct of this great national movement for"';improved highways are the 48 state highway departments and the "U*S» Dp?., y partment of Agriculture operating through the Bureau of Public'Roads*" Some of these departments are old established, while others have only" recently been set up, but the fact remains that in every state there is now a state highway department which is rapidly being expanded, and in which real experience and ability are being made the prerequisite for employment.The combined state and federal organisations have an