The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-02

Tie matter oi constructing good
oads i'll the country is beginning to
eccive the attention its Importance
Reserves. Man$ years 6 Repre-
tentative Iirowlow of Tennessee un-
AerrooE to interest ;hc national con
Eress il, tin. subject. He introduced in
everal congresses 8. bill providing for
National aid III The construction OF
.oads under that provisions of the fed
sral constitution which gives the con-
yress power over %postotfices and post
roads. He sought to have a part of
The revenues of h government which
were expended on rivers and harhors,
binder the pork barrel" methods then
In vogue. used in the construction of
public highways. But he died without
eealizins his dreams.
In the early history of the nation.
both the general government and the
states gave serious attention to pub
lie roads. The state of Virginia con
etructed the northwestern turnpike
Hfrom Winchester to the Ohio river
lin order to join the two portions of
the state separated by the Allegheny
mountains. The national government
constructed the national pike from
Cumberland. Maryland. to Wheeling.
d. Virginia on the Ohio river. The first
shovelful of dirt was thrown by
President Monroe n great things
were predicted for the highway by
the speakers on this occasion. Both
those roads were masterpieces of en-
cheering. They were carried over
]. mountains at grades that seem now
almost Impossible. Both were ma
cadamized and both are in first class
condition today. though they nave
passed into the control of the local
& authorities.
{ With the coming of the railroads,
Z public roads passed to the background
!! ing of the automobile has forced them
4. TO the front again. The agitation for
!, roads on which speed is possible, has
{ awakened the public to Il realization
, of the fact that a road on which an
automobile a speed must be in a
!. condition over which loads can be
. . drawn with less expenditure of power.
: The unitarian purpose of the auto
mobile owner and the farmer are thus
/ combined. The long end of the inan-
{ cial gain. however. is with the farmer.
! The unitarian purpose of the auto
cd as the meridian road from the Gulf
of Mexico to Winnipeg, do not as a
whole serve the purpose of the man
who wagons. There will not be many
people driving cams from n end
of the road to the other. Automobile
lists will. But the advantages to the
mar with the team will be in utiliz-
Ing that portion of the road which
serves his purpose. If a farmer liv-
Ing ten miles from this city can use
that portion of the road between his
Farm and the city and reduce the cost
of transportation of his crop, he will
be the beneficiary. This is illustrative
of the advantage of such a highway
locally.
h plan Is a commendable one and
should receive all the support both
public n private that is possible.
The read laws of the majority of the
states are SO glued to the past that
little a be don under them to con-
etruct such roads as the one proposed.
In fact. n of the greatest benefits
that will come from such agitation
will be the development of public sem
timent in favor of modern road laws.
But these are in the future. What is
needed is constructive action now.
This must come largely from CONNER
cial and automobile organizations.
These W. classes of enterprise can
not stimulate the general public but
can in a large measure secure for the
road all the assistance possible under
the law.
Nothing is ever accomplished
through a divided sentimcn t or by d.
vided interests. A united effort on
the part of the public can do anything
within the realm of possibilities. For