The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-08-14
NATIONAL ROAD SYSTEM

A gigantic system of seven great
national highways radiating from
Washington to all sections of the
United States is proposed in bill
introduced in the senate last week by
Senator Cullom Of Illinois, at the re-
quest Of former Representative ].
Floyd King Of Louisiana. Immediate
ly after the Introduction Of the bill
Gen. King inaugurated a movement
to further the project. The bill was
referred to the committee on post
Offices and post roads, of which Sen
atOr Bourne is chairman.
If the project is successful, the
district will become the center of a
wheel of roads passing through pract-
ically every state in the union. Back
of the project are number of prom
inent members of congress and busi-
ness men who are preparing to push
the bill to passage as quickly as pos
sible. Opposition is expected from
some quarters, but Gen. King an
nounced last night that he is conf
dent of overcoming it.
Included in the system proposed to
the senate by Senator Cullom are
many of the projects for great roads
already launched at different times.
The roadway from Montreal, Canada,
to Miami, Fla, the Lincoln memorial
road from Washington to Gettysburg,
recently Endorsed by Speaker Champ
Clark, of the house, are among the
projects included in the scheme pro-
posed.
Would Cost S14S,OOO,G coo.
The seven great national roads pro-
terminus in Washington. The other
extremities proposed are Portland,
Me-; Buffalo, N. Y; Seattle, Wash;
San Francisco, CAL; San Diego, CAL;
Austin, Tex, and Miami, Fla. 1t is
proposed that they be called, respec-
lively, the Washington national high
way, the Roosevelt national highway,
the Lincoln national highway, the
Jefferson national highway, the Grant
national highway, the Monroe nation
al highway, and the Lee national
highway.
AS estimated by Gen. King. the sew
en- proposed highways would not ex-
coed a combined length of 10000
miles, which at the estimate of $12,-
900 mile, would bring the cost of
the system up to the figure of $14s,-
100000. 1t is proposed that this
money be raised by the issue of bonds,
as in the case of the Panama canal.
After the roads have been built, it
is proposed to pay their cost of main
tenance by the collection of tolls.
The bill also provides for the APP
pointment of commission, to be
known as the national interstate
highways and good roads commission,
to determine the location and cost Of
the proposed seven highways. An
immediate expenditure of 100000
is provided for the preparation Of
maps, the making of surveys. and 9TH
er work incidental to the work of ac-
tually beginning the construction Of
the great highway system.
Plan Large Commission.
At the head of the commission, as
proposed by the bill, would be the
president, the rest of the committee
to be made up of the secretary of ag-
riculture and the secretary of war,
the chief of engineers of the army,
seven members of congress, five pri-
the army, and seven from civil life.
In order that politics be kept out
Of the project, the bill provides that
all the seven roads shall be started
at the same time, and that the pre-
liminary surveys be started at the
same time, all from Washington. 1t
is provided that they shall be contin-
ued simultaneously, in order that no
state get ahead of another. This
provision was put in to prevent in
fluential men from having work on
one or more particular road hurried.
The Washington national highway
will run from District direct to Port
land, Me-, passing through Philadel-
phia, and New York The Roosevelt
highway to Niagara Falls, through
Gettysburg; the Lincoln highway d.
rect to Chicago, and thence direct to
Seattle, WASH; the Jefferson highway
will run almost due west from Wash
ginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado,
Utah, Nevada and California. This is
the longest road Of all.
Into all But Six States.
The Grant highway will run direct
ly to Memphis, Tenn, and thence
southwest through all the southwest
ern states to San Diego, CAL; the
Monroe highway, which will pass
through most of the southern states,
will go through Virginia, North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama and Mississippi, to New Or
leans. and thence directly west to
Austin, Tex. The last of the seven
highways, the Lee highway, named
after Robert E. Lee, will run along
the Atlantic coast line, passing
through Wilmington, N c., Savannah,