Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31
BY HOWARD FISK.

0HE National Capital viii! shortly
be the scene of the most COM
prehensive gathering OF road
enthusiasts and road workers
ever held in the United states
The federal aid convention Of the Amer
lean Automobile Association Will hold
meetings at the Raleigh Hotel Janu-
AIRY 16 and II, when the question OF gov
eminent partic patton in road building
will be thoroughly discussed. and to settle
upon some definite plan which snail De
satisfactory to the thousands VINO no"
believe in the principle Of federal coop
Grafton in highway work.
About thirty measures have been intro
duced in the present Congress providing
for appropriations for road purposes un-
der various plans, and IN all probable
ity a considerable number Of additional
bills viii be presented. These measures
all possess points of excellence and all
recognize the prOpriety of federal actlon
on this subject.
With the general public in large ma
jorty of the states favoring federai aiu
in building highways, and w proDaDie
majority of the members Of both the Sen
ate and House of Representatives in
clined to carry out the wishes or their
constituents and their own ideas at the
same time, the only question would seem
to be that of working out measure
VIII CHI shall be just to every section OF the
country and so command the support OF
all fair-minded men.
The people of the United States have
never baked at progress. When the well
fare of the nation. in it's material oeVei-
opment, required transcontinental rail-
ways property now valued at seven billions
of dollars was donated by the govern
ment. These donations made poss Die the
Cr1if 10n
in it's vastness and in its powers of pro-
duction that the most glorious history OF
previous civilization falls into insignifi-
canoe in comparison.
The federal aid thus given was the re-
suit of wise craftsmanship in Congress
backed by the wisdom of the people OF
the country The object for which it was
given has been achieved. American civili-
zation has cultivated the prairieS. re-
duced the woodlands, harnesed the streams
and dug into the mountains. all in the
pursuit of the wealth that has responded
so bountifully.
Another stage was reached when the
strated, in addition to the ornamental
and pleasurable functions which were
earlier developed. 1t was seen that the
motor car widened the horizon Of man S
usefulness. made it possible to achieve
more commercially. professionally, or in
the pursuit Of pleasure, than had been
possible before. It was also found that
the most profitable use of the mechanical
vehicle required a better Class of high
ways than those in common use.
simultaneously there was developed the
fact that, even more than motorists, farm
ers needed better roads. Worked out
into figures by officials of the United
States government, it was found that the
annual cost in time. money and labor of
marketing the products of the country
over the existing roads amounts to from
$3.50. 600. 900 to 800. 100000 more than the
cost would be if the roads were good, and
that this excess Of cost is entirely waste,
a bad road tax on the resources of the
country.
Where the greatest mileage of improved
roads has been constructed there has
been the greatest development in the
utilization of automobiles, which pro-
duces a strictly economic gain over the