The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-08-06
EARLE'S ROAD BILL,
How He Would Have the Govern
ment Improve Highways.
WANTS BUREAU ESTABLISHED
Chief Features of Michigan Highway
Commissioners National Reward
Road Bill That Will Be introduced Ir
the Next Congress.


the Next Congress.
One Of the most enthusiastic advo
Gates of good roads in the United
States IS Uoratio $. Earle, the state
highway commissioner of Michigan
who has done 50 much to improve the
roads of the wolverine State. Mr.
Earle wants the government to aid III
improving our highways, and he has
drawn national reward road bill,
which will be introduced in the next
congress by Congressman Charles L
Townsend. In an argument he made
for his bill recently Mr.. Earle said:
Our educational advantages are far
ahead Of any other country. Our postal
service Is fair, but not equal to that Of a
few nations. However. we are taking
steps every day to improve it and have
made wondrous progress in the past ten
years. Our methods OF transportation
Take the railroads. They are the best In
the world. They ought to be. We've done
enough to make them good-first built
them and then gave them away and paid
the takers large sums of money every
year to keep them.
BY gum, they are by all odds the poorest
on the face of this green earth-no other
civilized nation on the globe but has bet
ter than we. Why Is it2 Is 1t because we
are poor? A people that has created and
builded nation in a day, with more mil
liOnaircs than any other two countries
can claim, poor? Well hardly. The trou-
BILE is that we are so blamed rich that we
can live even with poor roads 1t would
bankrupt commonly blessed nation to
haul the product of field and factory over
such abominable roads.
What are we going to do about it?
Knowing as we do that the nation has
paid out In land and money to railroads
and rivers and harbors $1,000 100000 or
$1,000 per mile for every one of the
100000 miles of public wagon road
there is in this home land Of ours, isn't II
about time that we insisted upon having
some national aid on our highways that
the roads Of our country may snow Signs
Of civlizaton-may show that our rel-
gion has taken effect and that we arc
putting our education to a good use. bene-
fitting our postal facilities and making IL
easv for us to get to the church, to
school, to library, lodge. theater to mar
ket and last, but far from least, to our
neighbors dinner table and sitting room
This can be brought about all over the
United States only by national assistance
any other way. Then why should there
be longer delay In following the prece-
dent established by all the nations that
have good roads? ! am one Of n very
large majority of the people of this coun-
try that demand national help.
Among other things Mr.. Earle's road
hill calls for are the following:
To establish in the department of agri-
To q known the [ nit
ed States highway department and to pro-
vide for national reward for the improve
ment of the public wagon roads
THAT the object and purpose of said de-
nartment shall be to assist In ana encour-
age the improving of the puDilc wagon
roads In the various states ana terlltoiieS
of the United States by the payment OF
national reward, according to the proVl-
.iors of this act; to make Investigations
exneriments and tests In regard TO meth-
ods of road making and ROAD mateilais'
IN furnish without charge TO any state Vi
territory the result of any Sucn lhNestlS"-
tion experiment or test upon reques' ~
tha state or territorial highway commls-
,ioner. state engineer or other officer OF
oficers having In charge the question OF
i,nnroving the public wagon roads or sucH
atate or territory; to give advice lnlof
nation and reports on the supJect U,
roads road improvement, ROAD muteIi''
md so FORTH by means VI icct"iV', ~
fins or otherwise; to suggest from lliHe ~
time laws which, If enacted, would tehu
70 bring about as far as may be UNI
form system for the construction, repair
ana Improvement of the public wagon
roads throughout the United states
THAT an officer to be known as the Cihe-
cd states highway commissioner shaH pe
appointed by the president ny ana W."
~, advice and consent of the senate,
,,.ithin ffteen days after this act sha
,alea effect. Such commissioner snaIi w.
n citizen Of the United States ana sIlai'
hove practical knowledge OF ROAD con
,t,uction Improvement and repair. lie
.hoi1 receive a salary of 5000 per annuih
That whenever any state or ,c' e ..1o-
sboII file notice with the United states
highway commissioner through INC ol'IO'
nr officers having in charge the matter os
i,onroving or aiding In the improving VI
no nublic wagon roads of such state VI
,rritorv or the officers or any Two %
,a states or territories shall 90 50
.nt,,ti stating that it is the intention OF
~, state or states, territory or territories,
-. h,,iId . certain number of miles OF roau
W nc viii merit United States reward
.. sboIl he the duty of the United states
,nhn.ov commissioner to furnish general
I've and specifications which, II lo44oW
- viii cntitlc the state or TERRITORY ~
,ocoive the amount of reward que lot 'i'7
ioncth and class of road built.
rbot every mile of well graded ROAD Oh
which the steepest incline shall not 81