according to the relative needs of the various national forests, taking into consideration the existing transportation facilities, value of timber, or other resources served, relative fire danger, and comparative difficulties of road and trail construction. The balance of such appropriations shall be expended by the Secretary of Agriculture in the survey, construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of forest roads, of primary importance to the State, counties, or communities within, adjoining, or adjacent to the national forests, and shall be prorated und apportioned by the Secretary of Agriculture for expenditures in the several States, Alaska, and Porto Rico, according to the area and value of the land owned by the Government within the national forests therein as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture from such information, investigation, sources, and departments as the Secretary of Agriculture may deem most accurate. (b) Cooperation of Territories, States, and civil subdivisions thereof may be accepted but shall not be required by the Secretary of Agriculture. (c) The Secretary of Agriculture may enter into contracts with any Territory, State, or civil subdivision thereof for the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of any forest road or trail or part thereof. (d) Construction work on forest roads or trails estimated to cost $5,000 or more per mile, exclusive of bridges, shall be advertised and let to contract. If such estimated cost is less than $5,000 per mile, or if, after proper advertising, no acceptable bid is received, or the bids are deemed excessive, the work may be done by the Secretary of Agriculture on his own account; and for such purpose the Secretary of Agriculture may purchase, lease, hire, rent, or otherwise obtain all necessary supplies, materials, tools, equipment, and facilities required to perform the work. 17 The appropriation made in this section or that may hereafter be made for expenditure under the provision of this section may be expended for the purpose herein authorized and for the payment of wages, salaries, and other expenses for help employed in connection with such work. SEC. 24. That in any State where the existing constitution or laws will not permit the State to provide revenues for the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of highways, the Secretary of Agriculture shall continue to approve projects for said State until three years after the passage of this act, if he shall find that said State has complied with the provisions of this act in so far as its existing constitution and laws will permit. SEC. 25. That if any provision of this act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the act and of the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. SEO. 26. That all acts or parts of acts in any way inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed, and this act shall take effect on its passage. Approved, November 9, 1921. POST OFFICE APPROPRIATION ACT OF JUNE 19, 1922 An Act Making appropriations for the Post Office Department for the fiscal year ending SEO. 4. That for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved June 11, 1916, and all acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following additional sums, all such sums to be expended in accordance with the provisions of such act: The sum of $50,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923. 17 Amended by the acts approved Feb. 26, 1923 (42 Stat. 1321), Feb. 10, 1925 (43 Stat. 852), June 22, 1926 (44 Stat. 760), May 5, 1930 (46 Stat. 261), June 16, 1936 (49 Stat. 1519), and Sept. 5. 1940 (54 Stat. 867). The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized, immediately upon the passage of this act, to apportion the $50,000,000 herein authorized " to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, among the several States as provided in section 21 of the Federal highway act approved November 9, 1921: Provided, That the Secretary of Agriculture shall act upon projects submitted to him under his apportionment of this authorization and his approval of any such project shall be deemed a contractual obligation of the Federal Govern. ment for the payment of its proportional contribution thereto. PAR. 2. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of section 23 of the Federal highway act, approved November 9, 1921, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for forest roads and trails, out of any money in the Treas ary not otherwise appropriated, the following additional sums, to be available until expended, in accordance with the provisions of said section 23: The sum of $6,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1924. The sum of $6,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1925. PAR. 3. For the purposes of this section and of the acts heretofore making appropriations to aid the States in the construction of rural post roads the term "bridges" includes railroad grade separations, whether by means of overhead or underpass crossings. PAR. 4. The provision of section 5 of the act entitled "An act making appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920, and for other purposes," approved February 28, 1919, fixing the limitation of $20,000 per mile which the Secretary of Agriculture may make, is hereby amended to read as follows: "That the payments which the Secretary of Agriculture may make from sums appropriated under this act or any act amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, shall not exceed $16,250 per mile exclusive of the cost of bridges of more than twenty feet of clear span; and that the payments which the Secretary of Agriculture may make from any sums appropriated under the provisions of this act or any act amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, after the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, shall not exceed $15,000 per mile, exclusive of the cost of bridges of more than twenty feet of clear span: Provided, That the limitation of payments herein provided shall apply to the public-land States, except that the same is hereby increased in proportion to the increased percentage of Federal aid authorized by section 11 of the act entitled 'An act to amend the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the consruction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved November 9, 1921." PAR. 5. Section 24 of the act entitled "An act to amend the act entitled 'An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes,' approved November 9, 1921, is amended to read as follows: "That in any State where the existing constitution or laws will not permit the State to provide revenues for the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of highways, the Secretary of Agriculture shall continue to approve projects for said State until five years after November 9, 1921, if he shall find that said State has complied with the provisions of this act in so far as its existing constitution and laws will permit." PAR. 6. If any officer, agent, or employee of the United States, or any officer, agent, or employee of any State or Territory, or any person, association, firm, or corporation, or any officer or agent of any person, association, firm, or corporation shall knowingly make any false statement, false representation, or false report as to the character, quality, quantity, or cost of the material used or to be used, or the quantity or quality of the work performed or to be performed, or the costs thereof in connection with the submission of plans, maps, specifications, contracts, or costs of construction of any project submitted for approval to the Secretary of Agriculture under the provisions of the Federal highway act, or shall knowingly make any false statement, false representation, or false report or claim for work or materials for the construction of any project approved by the Secretary of Agriculture under said Federal highway act and all amendments thereto, or shall knowingly make any false statement or false representation in any report required to be made under said Federal highway act or acts supplementary thereto with the intent to defraud the United States shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment not to exceed five years or by a fine not to exceed $10,000, or by both fine and imprisonment within said limits. PAR. 7. If any provision of this section, or the application thereof to any 18 See sec. 1 (b) of the act approved June 16, 1936 (49 Stat. 1519). person or circumstances, shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the section and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. PAR. 8. All acts or parts of acts in any way inconsistent with the provisions of this section are hereby repealed. * * Approved, June 19, 1922. ACT EXTENDING FEDERAL AID TO HAWAII [43 STAT. 17] An Act To extend the provisions of certain laws to the Territory of Hawall Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1925, the Territory of Hawaii shall be entitled to share in appropriations now or which may hereafter become available for apportionment under the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved July 11, 1916, known as the Federal highway act, and any act amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, upon the same terms and conditions as any of the several States, and such Territory shall be included in the calculations to determine the basis of apportionment of such funds: Provided, That in approving road projects in such Territory to receive Federal aid, the Secretary of Agriculture shall give preference to such projects as will expedite the completion of an adequate system of highways for the national defense or which will connect seaports with units of the national parks. 1o Approved, March 10, 1924. AMENDMENT AND AUTHORIZATION OF FEBRUARY 12, 1925 [43 STAT. 889] An Act To amend the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved July 11, 1916, as amended and supplemented, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved July 11, 1916, and all acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following additional sums, to be expended according to the provisions of such act as amended: The sum of $75,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926; The sum of $75,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1927. Immediately upon the passage of this act and thereafter not later than January 1, of each year, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to apportion among the several States, as provided in section 21 of the Federal highway act approved November 9, 1921, the $75,000,000 herein authorized to be apportioned for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926, and on or before January 1 next preceding the commencement of each succeeding fiscal year he shall make like apportionment of the appropriation herein authorized, or which may hereafter be authorized, for each fiscal year: Provided, That the Secre tary of Agriculture shall act upon projects submitted to him under his apportionment of this authorization, and his approval of any such project within three years shall be deemed a contractual obligation of the Federal Govern. ment for the payment of its proportional contribution thereto. 19 Amended by the act approved Feb. 23, 1931 (46 Stat. 1415). SEC. 2. For carrying out the provisions of section 23 of the Federal highway act approved November 9, 1921, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for forest roads and trails, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following additional sums, to be available until expended in accordance with the provisions of said section 23: The sum of $7,500,000, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926; SEC. 3. That the Secretary of Agriculture may exchange deteriorated explosives or explosive components, obtained by transfer from the Secretary of War for distribution among the States and for use in the improvement or roads under his direct supervision, for explosives or explosive products in condition for immediate nse. The Secretary of Agriculture is further authorized, by contract or otherwise, to reclaim by reworking, reconditioning, cartridging, or otherwise converting into usable form such deteriorated explosives or explosive components as can not be so exchanged, and to pay the cost thereof out of available administrative funds authorized by the Federal highway act approved November 9, 1921, and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto. The Secretary of Agriculture, in his discretion, may transfer to any department or agency of the Federal Government such of the materials acquired from such exchanges, and also such of the explosives or explosive components as may be reworked, reconditioned, cartridged, or otherwise converted hereunder, as may be required by any such department or agency for use in its authorized activities: Provided, That the charges incident to the storage, handling, protection, exchange, reworking, reconditioning, cartridging, or conversion of such explosives or explosive components as may be certified by the Secretary of Agriculture to have been incurred against said administrative funds shall be reimbursed, said funds pro rata by the department or agency of the Federal Government, the State, or other agency receiving such explosives or explosive products. SEC. 4. That section 11 of the Federal highway act approved November 9, 1921, as amended and approved by the acts of June 19, 1922, and January 22, 1923, is further amended by inserting after each place where the words " unappropriated public lands' occur the words "and nontaxable Indian lands, individual and tribal." SEC. 5. That in any State where the existing constitution or laws will not permit the State to provide revenues for the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of highways, the Secretary of Agriculture shall continue to approve projects for said State until three years after the passage of this act, if he shall find that said State has complied with the provisions of this act in so far as its existing constitution and laws will permit. SEO. 6. All acts or parts of acts in any way inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed and this act shall take effect on its passage. Approved, February 12, 1925. AMENDMENT AND AUTHORIZATION OF JUNE 22, 1926 An Act To amend the Act entitled "An Act to provide that the United States shall aid Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved July 11, 1916, and all acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following additional sums, to be expended according to the provisions of such act as amended: The sum of $75,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1928. SEC. 2. For carrying out the provisions of section 23 of the Federal highway act, approved November 9, 1921, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for forest roads and trails, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following additional sums, to be available until expended in accordance with the provisions of said section 23: 1 The sum of $7,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1928. Not later than January 1 next preceding the commencement of each fiscal year the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to apportion among the several States the appropriations heretofore, herein, or hereafter made or authorized to be made as provided in section 23 of the Federal highway act approved November 9, 1921. SEC. 3. That in any State where the existing constitution or laws will not permit the State to provide revenues for the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of highways the Secretary of Agriculture shall continue to approve projects for said State for the period covered by this act if he shall find that said State has complied with the provisions of this act in so far as its existing constitution and laws will permit. SEO. 4. All acts or parts of acts in any way inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed, and this act shall take effect on its passage. Approved, June 22, 1926. FEDERAL AID FOR TOLL BRIDGES An Act To permit the granting of Federal aid in respect of certain roads and bridges Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That notwithstanding any provision of the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved July 11, 1916, or of the Federal highway act, the Secretary of Agriculture may extend. on the same basis and in the same manner as in the construction of any free bridge, Federal aid under such acts, in the construction of any toll bridge and approaches thereto, by any State or States, or political subdivision or subdivisions thereof, upon the condition that such bridge is owned and operated by such State or States, or political subdivision or subdivisions thereof, and that all tolls received from the operation thereof, less the actual cost of operation and maintenance, are applied to the repayment to the State or States, or political subdivision or subdivisions thereof, of its or their part of the cost of construction of such bridge, and upon the further condition that when the amount contributed by such State or States, or political subdivision or subdivisions thereof, in the construction of such bridge shall have been repaid from the tolls, the collection of tolls for the use of such bridge shall thereafter cease, and the same shall be maintained and operated as a free bridge. Approved, March 3, 1927. AMENDMENT OF MAY 21, 1928 [45 Stat. 683] An Act To amend the act entitled "An act to provide that the United States shall aid the States in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes," approved July 11, 1916, as amended and supplemented, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 11 of the Federal highway act, approved November 9, 1921 (Forty-second Statutes at Large, page 212), as amended or supplemented, be further amended by adding at the end of the second paragraph thereof the following: "And provided further, That in the case of any State containing unappropriated public lands and nontaxable Indian lands, individual and tribal, exceeding 5 per centum of the total area of all lands in the State in which the population, as shown by the latest available Federal census, does not exceed ten per square mile of area, the Secretary of Agriculture, upon request from the State highway department of such State, may increase the share payable by the United States to any percentage up to and including the whole cost on projects on the primary system of Federal-aid highways and on projects on the secondary system when the latter is a continuation of a route on the primary system or directly connects with a route on the primary system of an adjoining State, but such Štate shall allocate and expend during the same fiscal year upon some other project or pro |