other categories carried out by the Federal Government, independently and in cooperation with States and their subdivisions; and in such connections their proper solution is equally basic to successful administration and correspondingly difficult. In connection with such other public works the aid of the proposed Federal Land Authority, if created would be similarly useful and desirable. Moreover, since the establishment of a proper relation between all such public works projects in their uses of land is highly desirable, the common association of all with the proposed Land Authority might supply very effective means for promoting a reasonable coordination. Through the control exercisable by the proposed Federal Land Authority, for example, many such conflicts as that indicated as possible in Baltimore between the location of Federal slum-clearance projects and Federal-aid street improvements might conceivably be avoided (see p. 99).
In this connection it may be pointed out that the proposed aid of the Federal Government could not be effectively employed in any State in the absence of constitutional authority for the acquisition of lands in sufficient amount to provide for anticipated future developments and the most desirable use of, and protection of, the public works investment, whatever its nature.
2. By providing, in cooperation with the States and the War Department, for detailed investigations leading to the designation of a system of reasonably direct interregional highways, with appropriate connections through and around cities, similar to the system tentatively selected and described in this report, and limited in total extent to not more than 1 percent of the total mileage of rural highways in the United States, without specific limitation in each State. In view of the predominant national importance of such a system, the Federal Government could reasonably contribute to its construction in a proportion materially larger than that in which it contributes under the Federal Highway Act, but the administration should remain under the Secretary of Agriculture through the agency of the Bureau of Public Roads and the several State highway departments.
3. By continuance of cooperation with the States in the improvement of the Federal-aid highway system and the elimination of hazards at railroad grade crossings, with annual authorizations commensurate with those previously provided.
4. By continuance of the program of secondary and feeder road construction, with appropriations equal to, or larger than those authorized for the fiscal years 1940 and 1941, to be expended in such way as to give effect to the principles enunciated in this report.
