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·~.. ,) •.·.::.s'3..;. f.:·r the af·cernoon papers )•! "9bbruary 23f 1918. STATEMENT FOR THE PRESS l'he limitation of highway bond issues in such manner z.s most helpful to the Nation during the period of the war wa~ 't:C.e 'Vil~. bo ~uoJect o:': an i"1}!crtant conference held in Washington recently, at which we1e present L H. GJff. member of the Capital Issues Advisory Committee, tnr: .Federal Reserve Board; L. w. represen~ing Page, Director of the Federal Bureau of Public Roads, and the members of the Executive Committee of the American Association of State Highway Officials. This ·latter organization is an o:r- ficial body whose membership is composed of .the. 48 state highway departmeTI.td A quick and loyal appreciation of the Nation's needs and of the necessity fm subordinating local benefits Wl}S sh?wn by the representatives of the ".levJra".. states, including among their number George P. Coleman, State Highwa.y rom. . missioner of Virginia, ;;.. D. Williams, State Highway Commissioner of West Virginia, Henry G. Shirley, Chief Engineer .of Marj!'land, Thomas II. Me.cDon<11d, Sta.te Highway Engineer of Iowa, 'ihonns H~ French, State Engineer of New Ivlcx.H·o, and Paul D. Sargent, Chief Engineer of Mainee A letter from Secretary McAdoo was quoted, in which he said• ••rre are engaged in a great war. a war in which the very safety of .A,tt\ericcL b seriously imperilled, We can not win thiS war unless every resource of the nation is carefully husbanded and used with the utmost intelligence. 11he great financial operations of the Government, greater than those ever under .. taken by any government in the history of civilizationt. make it essential that every unnecessary expenditure by the Government, by the states and municipalities, and by private corporation& a.nd individuals be avoided while - 2t~1e war is in progress. Unless this is done it, will be impossible for t.t.e people of the United States to furni,sh the money which the Government must have to .support its soldiers and sa1lo1"s who are shedding their blood for us upon the battleflelds••. The Federal R&aerve de~ir~d Boar~. it was made clear at the conference, that during 'he continuance of the war state, county. municipal, cor. i porate, and individual financing sbould be strictly limited to projects which will contribute to the snoaesstul prosecution of the war, or wbich are neces- sary for publie health and welfare. J:t was &'Uphasi.zed tmt only by subordina.t . .ing locu and pers-onAl interest:s to the public welfare, and by enforcing the most rigid economy in matters of' public and private enterprise, as well as L matters ot personal expenditure. that the United States can hope to bear its part of the financial burden gf the war afid to release sufficient labor and m~terials torwar pur~oses without depletioa of our resources. Highway con~truction and maintehance calls dbring normal times fo= an outlay or some $300,000,000 annually. The Federal Government cooperates directly with the states through a large Federal appropriation and pays 50% of the cost of selected roads. L. w. Pag~. Dltetitof of the .Bureau of Public Roads. explained that already his bureau was eoeperating with all of the 48 state highway departments in a most rigid selective consideration of all highway projects llllder the provisions of the Federal Aid R66d .Act, to the end tlw.t only thote Which are of militarJ proved. •r special eeontmic importance should be ap- That the people should be taken fully into the conti·4ence of the state, and Federal Officials and asked to cooperate in the weeding out of unnecessary public i~ovements. was t.h& 'IUI.Qi!IIO'Jbl sentiment of the offisials present ..
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