Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-12
Solons Propose That Uncle Sam
Shall Aid the States.
COUNTRYWIDE IDEA OUTLINED
system Of National Boulevards Pro-
posed by Senator Cullom-Proj-
ects Suggested by Others.

| thereby a strenuous campaign VIII De
waged in Congress this winter for the
massage of bill appropriating money
from the Treasury for the construction
Of public roads throughout the United
States.
| The opning gun of the campaign Is TO
be fred next week. when road improve
ment enthusiasts from all sections OF
the country are to gather in conference
in Richmond, Va. and the shot hred al
that conference Is expected to reverberate
so impressively throughout the land that
Congress will consent to have some or
the filthy lucre shaken from the country s
pockets.
Objects of the Promoters.
1t is proposed by this plan of tapping
the federal till to do away with the mud
tax-the tribute that is exacted from the
farmers and market gardeners by BAD
roads between their fields and the nearest
railroad or the closest city market. just
| as the improvement on railroads, MAKING
possible the carrying of larger loads at
| quicker speed, has cut down the 1relShI
rates, and just as the Improvement .oI
rivers and harbors providing for larger
boats and better terminals. has slaughter
ed water transportation rates, SO, II Is
| commended, the improvement OF highways
in the way of cutting down grades; w,p-
| ing out mud holes and Strengthening
! curves will enable the farmer to market
his product more cheaply and thus insure
reductions in the prices of the prooucts
of the farms to the struggling saiafieu
| clerk or wage-earner
| 1t is altogether fitting that the United
| states government should spend money In
| such work instead of leav ng to the states
| the entire financial burden and RESPONSE
/ ha nod
| Sam has already spent hundreds OF mil
| lions in improving water highways be-
cause the United States government mas
poured out its funds in behalf of roads IN
| Alaska and the Philippines and the Ca
nal Zone and because Uncle sam Is also
making much use of the highways Of the
various states in delivering mail.
Power of Congress.
| Nor is such an expenditure violation
| Of the federal Constitution, 1t Will De
maintained, because Congress has the
| power to establish highways In every
| state and territory of the United States
| for mail, commercial and military pur-
1 poses under the interstate commerce
clause, the war clause. the general vel
| fare clause and the clause authorizing
| the establishment of post roads
| BY many advocates Of such course II Is
| conceded that the states and territories
| have a responsibility in the construction
| and maintenance OF good roads. Some
| proposed to have Uncle Sam spend money
! for road building only IN states wnich
| agree to spend out of their own funds an
| equal amount. Still others proposed to
| compel the counties also to contribute
| another share equal to that or the ma
t;onal government Some only PROPOSE
sale of public lands in their states shall
/ be devoted to road construction. much as
| it has been devoted, In some states. to
:; irrigation.
| That the national government shall not
exact anything from the states. benefited
is the proposition put forth by one group
| of advocates. 1t is just as much the ma
| ing. without conditions, as for river and
| harbor improvements, they argue. and the
| public duty toward waterway Improve
ments has been so long recognized that it
| is no longer questioned.
Proposed Legislation.
| About thirty bills will be before Con-
| gress, when 1t meets the first Monday In
/ December. proposing as many different
plans for the use of money from the fed
| eral Treasury in road construction. All
| Of them are backed by enthusiasts both
| in Congress and out. They propose. too.
varying amounts OF appropriations. run
ming from few thousand to be used for
| experimental purposes to Sl5O,UO.OO
Some propose the construction OF mag
| nificent boulevards the length and breadth
of the land: others would put all roads
used for rural free delivery and star
routes in passable condition in good and
bad weather. and still others project only
the construction of q few miles of object
| lesson highways in different parts Of the
United States to serve as an inspiration
/ and as an incentive to the states and as
| basis for further appropriations from
the federal treasury for road building.
Seven National Highways.
The most picturesque project is outlined
in bill which Senator Culiom Of Illinois
has introduced. at the suggestion OF lead
4 ers in the movement for better highways
throughout the country. The construction
of seven great national highways. which
shall connect practically all Of the big
| cities with Washington, the Capital city,
| is provided for. The Washington national
| highway is to run from Washington to
Baltimore. Wilmington, Philadelphia.
| Trenton, New York city, Hartford, Bos-
ton and Concord to Portland. Me-: the
Roosevelt highway via Gettysburg and
| Harrisburg to Buffalo and Niagara Falls
the Lincoln highway through Chicago to
Seattle. Wash: the Jefferson highway to
| sweep across the continent to San Fran
cisco and the Golden Gate: the Grant
highway to San Diego. Cal; the Monroe
highway through New Orleans to Austin.
| lex, Lee highway bHAouSh 0oSdaAAAdl "
Miami, Fla.
The bill specifically calls for the ap-
pointment of q national Interstate high
| ways and good roads commission to de-
termine the location and cost of construc-
ton OF these seven great Interstate high
ways On that commission Is to be the
President Of the United States, who shall
be chairman: the Secretary of Agricul
ture. the Secretary of War. the chief of
engineers, u. s. A.; three United States
senator's. four representatives in Con-
gress, five citizens, two of whom are to
be residents of the District OF Columbia,
to be appointed by the President: seven
engineers of the Engineer Corps. U. S. A.;
| seven civil engineers. to be nominated by
the Society of Civil Engineers of the
United States and to be appointed by the
President.
Duties Imposed.
| One Of the duties Of the citizens who
accept places on the proposed commits
sion will be to go before state legislatures
and municipal bodies and urge the I'm
portance of national interstate highways
and good roads.
The expenditure of s14s.ooo.Oo0 is es-
ltimated by the bill as involved IN the
construction OF these roads, but the
measure would provide at this time only
for an appropriation of 100000 for the
isurveys and the preparation OF dennite
plans for the work.
Most of the bills now before Congress.
however. propose the cO-operauOn OF inc