The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-04
Road BuiIding Art.

Samuel Hill, a son-in-law of James
J. Hill. the Northwest railway mag
nate, and the president of the Ameri-
can Road Builders association, takes
a practical view of the road building
art He asserts it needs trained men,
and advocates the establishment of
road building chairs in all the i'm
portant colleges of the country, and
especially at West Point. He has
succeeded in impressing this view up
on some of the institutions of learn
ing of the state of Washington, OF
which he is a resident. and 200 young
men in that state are studying the
road building course this year. Mr..
Hill declares that in five years, in
consequence of the interest taken by
the local colleges in this matter and
the progressive attitude of the legis-
lature which devotes one-third of the
revenues of the state to road building,
Washington Will have the best system
of roads in the United States.
Whether Washington, one or the
youngest states of the union, will be
able in that time to outstrip all her
sister states in providing a modern
highway system may be open 10 Ques-
ton, but there is sound sense in the
recommendation that a system of ed
ucation in practical road building
shall be established as a prerequisite
to the construction of general Sys-
tenn of permanent highways in the
United States. Much of the money
heretofore devoted to the construction
of roadWays that are dust lanes in
dry weather and a succession of quag-
nires in wet has previously been
wasted-partly through the ignorance
of the roadmakers as to what con-
stituted a good road. The first step
toward putting an end to this waste
and entering upon scientific methoos
will be the training of lot Of stu
dents in the art of making roads
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
Excessive Eating.
We knew it would come: somebody
was sure to discover the fact and
hammer our heads with it Prof Mil
ton Whitney. chief OF the bureau OF
soils, declares that the increased cost
of living Is due simply to the TACT
that Americans are eating far more
than they did fifty years ago. his
reasoning is. we gather, that though
our production of food is very great
vet orr national appetite has grown
faster still; because 1t tastes good IN
the back of our mouths, we SIT at
table. and eat and eat, and gorge ana
gorge and gorge
goes the price. The ultimate consurn-
er should think more, work harder
and eat less. Only so shall ne remain
fit to survive, and hence, to consume.
Rut what about the man Who sells
food products to- the consuming APP
petite? He gets enough pront SO tnat
he does not have to rise hungry from
the table; he is even able TO accumu-
late enough invested capital to have
gingerbread twice a week all the rest
of his life, if he chooses 1t Is the
non-selling, hard-eating, hand-WorKe:r
or brain-worker not employed IN al
rectly commercial pursuits who inev-
itably pays the freight. He eats too
much; we have suspected 1t all along;
now Prof Whitney has told US. rIatly..
Well it is worth something to have
dislodged the truth from its hiding
got it into the open where it can pc
ultimate consumer. will have TO pay,
no doubt. Good enough for him. of
course. His lack of worthy ATTRIBUTES
was pointed out some time ago by tna1
eminent and ingenious economist, Mr..
Whidden Graham. He said: Ine
ultimate consumer! Why shouldn't ne
paw? What consideration does ne ue-
by being an ultimate consumer
New York Sun.