The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-11-03
ADDRESS OF HON. JOHN f. SHAT.
ROTH, GOVERNOR OF
COLORADO
Before International Good Roads
Congress In Chicago

Congress in Chicago
Mr.. President, and Ladies and
Gentlemen:
am aware that you are here for
the purpose of celebrating among
yourselves as to a movement which
has gained great progress in the Uni
ted States, and that is-the construc-
ton of good roads. You perhaps
know more about the construction
than l do, although l nave been on
several commissions during the past
two years for the purpose of select
ing and for the purpose of examining
some roads which the legislature of
my state deems wise to appropriate
money for the construction of, and l
therefore have taken some interest In
it myself.
You recognize, or course, the i'm
portance Of 1t, because as Mr.. Fair
child has stated, the amount of
money which is lost to people to have
to transport freight to railroads is
more than the loss of time, than the
price which you have to pay to the
railroad company, IL your distance
from the railroad station is matter
of ten or twelve miles. And there
fore the good roads proposition
touches every locality, touches every
piece Of territory in the entire United
States. 1t cannot be local ques-
ton; it is question where all re-
cetve benefit from it, and that is
purely. from the commercial stand
point. When you consider the fact
that 1t is also important that these
roads should be made good from the
standpoint of pleasure, the stand
point of the automobilist, the effect
iveness Of the work and the results
are apparent to everybody.
We, in Colorado, are located some
what differently, no doubt, from what
many of the localities which you rep
resent are. In other words, we have
a vast territory out there that Is
called mountains, and the roads
which are necessary to be constructed
there must be very extensive roads
mostly rock work, or at least \
great portion of it rock work-and
yet our country is very inaccessible
unless good roads are maintained. 1t
is very easy to drive along the prai.
ries or even a slight undulating
ground, but when you come to a
mountain, when you come to going
up canyons, unless you have pref
ty good road, you cannot go at all.
My state has been very much in
terested In the good roads movement
not only on account of the accessi-
btlity Of our citizens from one por-
ton of the state to another (and !
presume there are men here who rep
resent mountainous states), but We
are very deeply interested in making
of that land that contains such beau
tiful scenery somewhat Of play
ground for Americans, because no
prettier spots can be found on earth
than in the ravines of the Rocky
Mountains. Much of this travel that
goes to Europe seeking places that
are greatly advertised, find nothing
to equal the Royal Gorge, the Grand
Canyon of the Colorado, or any num-
Der of great features of the western
country. And If we realize how
much money goes to Switzerland,
spent by people who desire to see
the Alps-and the Alps cannot COM
pare with our own Rocky Mountains
it can be readily seen that a great
deal of that money could be kept
if it were possible TO interest our
own people in seeing the sights of
America first.
These are matters, of course, that
attack the very question as to whe-
Their states ought to so deeply into
the question of good roads and tax
themselves. for that purpose.
We are making some progress in
Colorado. We have what is called
an internal improvement fund that
amounts to about $3.50, 900 or $780,
900. That money has heretofore
been distributed amongst the legis-
lators, a certain amount indicated by
a seperate bill being passed for the
benefit of some particular place or
point where particular legislator
desires that the money should be
spent. We have been doing that for
80 odd years and the result has not