Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-09-27
FAVOR FEDERAL AID
FORPUB|[|C HIGHWAYS
ROAD IMPROVEMENT TO BE LIVE
ISSUE IN COMING SESSION OF
CONGRESS-.
AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
TO LEND COOPERATION
Organization TO Meet With
Opening Of consress-Southsrn Con-
sressmsn Strongly Favor Govern.
mont Appropriations-Co to Coast
Highway Aeitated.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Sept. 2i.-Ihe coming
session of congress is expected to be
marked by much more agitation of the
than usual.
One reason for this. is the increasing
activity OF the advocates OF federal aid
to interstate good road Improvement.
The activity Of the promoters OF sooo
roads in the states is marked and Is
constantly increasing. 1t follows ratnr-
ally that there Is increasing pressure
on congress to take favorable action
in the way Of voting money OF the gen.
eral government to help build roads
The greatest single influence in the
direction OF federal aid to good roads Is
the automobile and its owner. In this
connection, the meeting OF the Amerl-
can Automobile Association which Will
be held in Washington next Decemner.
about the time OF the opening Of con-
gress. promises to be remarkable for
the attention it Will give to the subject
Of federal help in road building. Inc
executive committee Of the association
recently met in New York and decided
to hold it's annual conventions IN wash
inxton until the time when the federal
government has adopted the policy OF
aiding the good roads cause. The COM
ing convention wifi be the fourth and 1t
will be a large and enthusiastic one
and every effort will be large ana
enthusiastic one and every enort VIII
he MADE 10 get congress interested IN
the matter Of appropriating for good
roads.
limo 10 Propitieus.
Just now appears TO be time pro-
pitious FOR getting action In the hrst
place. the number OF automobiles IN
use in the United States is increasing
at a remarkable rate. Reliable esu-
mates are that there are about half
million autos now in use. Every user
Of an auto deep down In his heart
sympa thizes with the cause OF good
roads and mos; Of them are less con-
cerned about the question OF federai
aid or state aid than they are about
having the roads disable. Congress
itself is an aggregation to. uses the
auto extensively Even jeff Davis. OF
Arkansas. has got himself into trouble
in the Ozark country by being seen m
the custody OF an auto once or twice.
strong sentiment exists in congress for
federal aid.
South Favors Aid.
Southern members Of congress are,
many Of them. active in the cause OF
federal aid for road improvement and
inasmuch as the house now Is con-
trolled largely by men from the south.
i. NAV be expected that more support
will be shown for a good roads appro-
priation next winter than usual. All
th-, the states. are good roads organi-
cations, state and county and local. and
these are enlisting the help OF senators
and representatives as far az possible.
One OF the suggestions made IS that
.tle federal government construct 2o,ooo
miles OF highway. The system would
cross the country from the Atlantic 10
the Pacific and from the lakes to the
gulf. Four great roads would be ouilt
east and west and nine north and south.
reaching every state and also the state
capitals and the great cities. With this
system as a basis, 1t Is urged that
states could develop roads to perfect
the system and that the development
could be carried 20 perfection by the
counties and townships.
The great obstacle in the way thus
far has been objection In congress to
the principle Of federal aid. Once this
is oyerridden, the way will undoubtedly
be paved to a great era Of road con-
struction In this country. The road
enthusiasts insist majority OF con-
gress is now on their side.