5. The inadequacy of the present State highway system, according to the standards established by the American Association of State Highway Officials, is as follows:

Approximately 2,000 miles of the State highway system furnishes traffic service for a minimum 700 to a maximum 6,000 vehicles per 24-hour day. Of this mileage, 11.2 percent is deficient in surface widths. In addition to the inadequate surface width mileage, 182.5 miles of low-type bituminous surface falls in the traffic volume group of 700 or more vehicles per 24-hour day and the American Association of State Highway Officials standards require a higher surface type pavement on this mileage. The records further indicate that 40 percent of the total bridges on the State system are from 16 to 19 feet in roadway width and all bridges constructed with a roadway width less than 20 feet are considered substandard.

EXHIBIT B

Measures that have been taken to initiate a post-war highway program: Federal-aid systems.

1. The 7-perecent Federal-aid system has been revised and we have requested the addition of the 1-percent increment to the regular Federal-aid system, also we have submitted the first increment of the Federal-aid secondary system. These systems are now being reviewed by the Public Roads Administration. The mileage included in the Federal-aid systems as submitted, approximates 88 percent of the total State-maintained system and this 88 percent provides traffic service for 95.4 percent of the total travel on the State-maintained system. Therefore, in order to provide an adequate system of Federal-aid highways in this State, we have prepared a tentative post-war program involving an estimated expenditure of $74,000,000 on the regular Federal-aid system and $64,000,000 on the Federal-aid secondary system. A recapitulation of our program is attached as exhibit C.

Surveys.

2. We have forwarded to the Public Roads Administration a program of advanced engineering survey projects involving approximately 307 miles at an estimated cost of $367,000. Federal funds in the amount of $178,000 have been made available for this program in section 9 of the Defense Highway Act of 1941 to be matched by an equal amount of State funds. If approved, this program will constitute the initial increment of our post-war construction program. In addition to this program, Mississippi has a backlog of surveys and plans that were in various stages of completion when peacetime construction programs were suspended. Further, we are proceeding with surveys and plans as rapidly as our present limited personnel and our ability to finance will permit. It is our purpose, however, to expand our forces at such time as the manpower is available, provided funds are made available by our State legislature which is presently in session.

Our division of highway planning is now actively engaged in accumulating data which will be used as a basis in the justification of individual projects included in our program. This being a requirement of the Public Roads Administration, which agency finances 50 percent of the cost of the engineering and economic investigations of projects for future construction. The funds necessary to finance this project have been provided since Mississippi has executed an agreement with the Public Roads Administration, involving an expenditure of $184,000. The State's share of this total amount approximates $92,000. It is apparent, therefore, that we are proceeding with the development of our post-war highway program as evidenced by our willingness to obligate $270,000 State funds when this amount at the present time in Mississippi represents a magnificent sum of money, since our only source of revenue is from the gas tax which has been so greatly reduced.

Right-of-way.

After the surveys have been completed, the plans developed and approval has been obtained from the Public Roads Administration, we intend to purchase rights-of-way in order to obviate any delay in the issuance of work orders after the award of contracts to the successful bidders. In our opinion, if the contractors are advised that all right-of-way is available and they anticipate no delay from this cause, the Federal Government and the State will benefit by more highly competitive unit prices and actual construction will be considerably expedited.

Conclusion.

In conclusion, therefore, it is estimated that we will be in position to advance plans, specifications, and estimates and request bids for approximately $6,000,000 of our post-war construction program immediately after the passage of this legislation and the rules and regulations made available governing the expenditure of whatever Federal funds are allocated. Provided, of course, that the Mississippi State Highway Department is permitted to proceed with the plan as outlined above.

EXHIBIT C

Proposed post-war highway construction program for State of Mississippi

Mr. WHITTINGTON. Mr. Kenna, I assume your grade-crossing eliminations would be included in what you call the urban areas there. Mr. KENNA. Yes, sir.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. And in the main you have estimated what would be required to modernize and realine your roads in urban areas? Mr. KENNA. That is right.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. And in that way whatever funds would be made available under authorization and appropriation, would be used not only on the main Federal-aid and secondary roads in the municipal

areas, but in the elimination of the more dangerous grade crossings? Mr. KENNA. That is right. As you very well know, Mr. Whittington, in the past 8 or 10 years we have eliminated a very large percentage of our hazardous railroad cossings, but we still have some considerable number left.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. Yes. And on the interregional or on the strategic highways, there are segments, as you have indicated in your statement, of highways that were of a permanent type, that were built really before the State highway commission began to function, and more particularly when it began its construction program some 7 or 8 years ago.

Mr. KENNA. That is correct.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. And those are the highways that are used by the people of the Nation that travel through and across Mississippi. Mr. KENNA. Yes, sir.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. And there is need for the modernization and the realinement, because in Mississippi, as elsewhere, 20 to 25 years ago, good alinement was not followed. My friend and colleague here, who has been over that road to Clarksdale-one of the best and straightest roads in the country-if he had gone on 75 miles below there he would have found a road that the people of the country are entitled to have an improvement on, because that road is not on a good alinement, it being built more particularly for local needs, and it is not straight, and in addition to that, very unfortunately, it is narrow. Mr. KENNA. Yes, sir.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. And these first roads, locally built, and with local considerations in mind, not only have poor alinement, but are also narrow and really dangerous.

Mr. KENNA. That is right.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. So that in any post-war program, it is essential for those roads to be reconstructed.

Mr. KENNA. Right, sir.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. They will still be a part of the strategic highway network, and at the same time they will be essential to the proper utilization of the main thoroughfares that have been constructed in recent years, and that are modern, properly alined, and wide; am I right in that?

Mr. KENNA. That is right. The section you mentioned, U S 61, is one of the sections I had in mind in making this statement. As you know, that road was built many years ago with the county matching Federal-aid funds. That was before the State had any money to put up, so this particular section of U S 61, which was built many years ago, as Mr. Whittington has well pointed out, is narrow and crooked, and just does not belong to be a part of U S 61 any longer, because from there north, and from there south, it is entirely new construction, and, incidentally, one of the most beautiful highways, I think, in the Nation.

Mr. WOLCOTT. That goes down to that swamp land?

Mr. WHITTINGTON. To that magnificent fertile alluvial land, instead of swamp, Mr. Wolcott.

Mr. WOLCOTT. Alluvial lands, then.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. In Mississippi there are some excellent national forests, and, as I recall, some of your important modern highways go

through those lands in the national forests, where probably more lands are being reforested than any other place in the country. As I also recall, Mississippi has not shared, notwithstanding its many hundreds of thousands of acres of land, in the formula that has heretofore obtained, in getting funds for these forests. Those are areas from which much timber is now being obtained for the war effort. I would be glad to have you, so far as I am concerned, give us any information you can as to the forest needs down there.

Mr. KENNA. Mr. Whittington, I am not in a position to do that because, in the main, the roads in the forests are off the State highway system. Take U. S. Highway 49, U. S. Highway 84, and, in part, U. S. Highway 61-those roads have been constructed at State and Federal expense, and those are about the only ones of the highways that we have any connection with or involve forests.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. So far as you are concerned, you have ample State condemnation laws for the acquirement of any rights-of-way that may be necessary?

Mr. KENNA. Yes, sir.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. And you state that the secondary system is, properly speaking, untouched and many of those roads are necessary if the principal towns-and by that I mean the county seats-are to be connected?

Mr. KENNA. Yes, sir.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. Naturally, you would like to have the percentage of Federal contribution as liberal as conditions will warrant?

Mr. KENNA. Just as liberal as possible. I would say, Mr. Chairman, that we are perfectly satisfied with the provisions of this bill as it is written, but we will also be satisfied with any modification that Mr. Whittington will support.

The CHAIRMAN. You are perfectly safe in making that statement. Mr. WHITTINGTON. With respect to Federal aid, the Federal interest in Mississippi, and elsewhere, according to my views-and I would like to have yours-is certainly more apparent in the strategic and Federalaid highways than it would be in the local highways, and if there is an impossiblity, or if it is impossible to provide some yardstick for contributing to the local thoroughfares and secondary roads, as against the main thoroughfares and municipal areas, it seems to me it is rather sound to make the main contribution in the primary system.

Mr. KENNA. I agree with you thoroughly.

Mr. WOLCOTT. Mr. Kenna, you said your legislature was in session and you expected them to make appropriations for your post-war program. What amount have you recommended that they appropriate? Mr. KENNA. Mr. Wolcott, we have not recommended any specific amount. Our recommendation has been that the legislature authorize the bond commission, which is made up of our Governor, the attorney general, and the State treasurer, to provide in the post-war period for the matching of any Federal funds that are made availabe for post-war construction on whatever basis is necessary. We did not mention any specific amount.

Mr. WOLCOTT. They will be authorized to bond probably up to a certain amount.

Mr. KENNA. Yes, sir. I can make this statement-I imagine Mr. Whittington is too modest to tell you that in our State we are in a

very fortunate position financially, insofar as our general fund obligations are concerned. When our legislature convened in January we had a surplus in the State treasury of $25,000,000, and there were general fund obligations outstanding of approximately 2212 million dollars. Those bonds are not callable. So the legislature has created an irrevocable trust, and has purchased 2212 million dollars of Government bonds, and set that amount aside so that as the State bonds mature they can be retired from this trust fund that has been created, which makes us, to all intents and purposes, so far as general fund obligations are concerned, debt free. We have outstanding about $50,000,000 of highway bonds.

Mr. WOLCOTT. It would embarrass Mr. Whittington to call that to our attention.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. I overlooked it. I intended to come back to it. Mr. WOLCOTT. You say you can make available enough funds to match whatever is available. Is that on a basis of 75-25, or of 50-50? Mr. KENNA. I rather think we would match on either basis, Mr. Wolcott, if it became necessary. I don't think Mississippi would permit any of this money to come back to Washington.

Mr. WHITTINGTON. It is fair to say for the record, I think, Mr. Wolcott, that the highway program in Mississippi has been built out of highway funds. That is to say, the funds contributed under the Federal Highway Acts, and the proceeds of the bonds that have been issued, redeemable, and payable out of the gasoline and automobile taxes, so that the highway users have paid for the highways down there, and not the general lands and other properties of the State. Mr. KENNA. That is correct, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you for your fine statement, Mr. Kenna. The next witness is Mr. Staves, of Massachusetts.

STATEMENT OF EDWARD W. STAVES, VICE CHAIRMAN, POST-WAR COMMISSION OF MASSACHUSETTS

Mr. STAVES. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Edward W. Staves; I am vice chairman of the 11-man Post-war Commission, created by the last session of the Massachusetts Legislature.

I am a bit embarrassed in appearing before you, because it obviously should be Mr. MacDonald's job. As you know, he is our commissioner of public works, but he found himself in a dual position. As an official of the American Association of Highway Officials, he had to support a measure here that did not represent his own views insofar as his own State is concerned. Therefore, I find myself here, in a sense, supplementing what he would probably have like to have done if he were not an official of an association representing this modified bill that is now before you.

Massachusetts has a public works commission composed of a commissioner and two associated commissioners, who plan, construct, and maintain all Federal-aid primary and secondary highways, and all of our minor and local system of highways on which any direct grants from the State are involved.

I might amplify that a bit, because we have two forms of helping out our minor roads in rural sections. One is known as chapter 81