The Aberdeen weekly., 1911-09-08
A system of National Highways

Several bills were introduced |
i'm Congress during the late ex-
ira session providing for the con-
stritet:os of Eat:onai highways
M one :,elie> e1 that these bills
could be passed, but they We're
put out as "feeiers' to invite
public discussion and to see to
whether public sentiment favor
ell Federal assistance in the work
OF road building.
Mr.. Hobson Of Alabama, 1t VIII
be remembered wanted jackson
national road constructed from
the Ohio to New Orleans; but
the most important and far reach
ing of the measures was that In
troduced by Senator Cullom, OF
Illinois. who planned a national
system of highways, starting Iron
Washington as "a hub and rrlnn-
ing to Portland Me-; Buffalo, y.
Y; Seattle, Wn.; San Francisco,
Cal; Sam Diego, CAL; AUSTIN, T.;
via New Orleans and Miami, fla.'
to be known as national nigh
ways. and to bear the name OF
some of our most distinguished
men. Washington, Jefferson, Lln-
coin. Lee, Grant and Roosevelt.
The cost was estimated at $14o,-
100000. which Senator Cullom
proposed to raise by am issue
Of bonds. the maintenance OF
these roads being provided Tor
through tolls.
OF course, the termlnl OF these
highways, as well as them names
were matters of detail to be set
tied In Congress. What lay at
the bottom Of the Cullom bill
was the recognition by Congress
OF the obligation of the Federal
government raod building-that
II should establish national high
ways as trunk lines, which would
serve as the nusleus OF a great
system. and that the construc-
tion should be such as to do e
dual Justice to all parts of the
country and render Impossible
any charge of discrimination. The
pest M did aiiddat CONGRESS '''e,ssna assume re-
sponsibility for good roads, but
aimed only to encourage and
stimulate the States in the work
they have already begun, and
to establish trunk lines with
which the road systems of the
several States could connect. The
Cullom bill has been ,before the
people less than a month, but
the hearty manner In which 1t
has been received leaves no doub
that it will have great strength
III Congress, ard probably get
through, if not at once, at least
in very snort time.
The project has been naturally
received with the hartiest ap-
plause OH the Pacific coast, OF
which section, cut off as it is
from the rest OF the Union by a
lack of good roads, feels that
their construction would be OF
untold benefit. We learn from
the Los Angeles Times that the
Cullom act has almost the unam-
nous backing of the coast. -
The new State of Arizona was
the first to take it up, an asso-
ciation to support the Cullom
bill having been organized at
once of citizens of Arizone and
New Mexiea. The Los Angeles
Chamber of Commerce has offer
ed its support, and conference
has already been arranged which
will include citizens from Cal
ifornia. Washington, Oregon,
Arizona, New Mexico and New
ada to take charge of a vigor,
Gus campaign for national high
ways. The Times has interview
ed a number of Congressman
from the Pacific coast who have
already pledged their support so
that the measure will start off
with a very respectable vote.
The proposition will be very
iHutH uRSCtA>Std LII tue AcAt C<tl
or so, and the result will depend
on public opinion. Congress
voted the money to build rail
roads across the continent to
connect the Atlantic and the
Pacific and realizes today that it
did well when it so provided
Why should it hesitate, we are
now asked to give this greater
and better connecting link by
means of these national high
ways. To do so will not fasten
the work of road building on
the governmnet, will not relieve
the States or counties A,om their
obligation in the matter, but,
on the contrary, it VIII greatly
e1cour.ge the present roa6 build
ing movement and lead to the
constractio1k Of St1texand county
highways T. connect with those
national. trunk lines so as to give
us q complete and perfect sys-
stem for the whole country The
Times Democrat. <s.s