Arizona republican., 1911-12-25

and so command the support of al fair minded men.
 The people of the United states have
 never baked at progress. When the
 welfare of the nation, in it's material
 development, required trans conti-
 mental railways, property now valued
 at more than seven billion dollars Wa;
 donated by the government. These do-
 nations made possible the development
 O an empire so magnificent in it's vastness and in its powers of produc- ton that the most glorious history
 Of previous civilizations falls into in significance in comparison.
 ! The federal aid thus given was the
 result of wise statesmanship in con I6ress, backed by the wisdom of the
 people of the country. The object for which it was given has been achieved. American civilization has cultivated 1 the prairies. reduced the woodlands. | harnessed the streams. and dug into | the mountains. all in the pursuit of
 the wealth that has responded so bountifully.
 But there are definite stages in pro- Sression. Another stage was reached when the utility of the automobile was demonstrated, in addition to the or
 namental and pleasurable functions
 which were earlier developed. It was seen that the motor car widened the
 horizon of mans usefulness. made it possible to achieve more commercially,
 professionally. or in the pursuit of pleasure than has been possible there
 tcfore. It was also found that the most profitable use of the mechanical vehicle required better class of high ways than those in common use
 Simultaneously was developed the fact that, even more than motorists, farmers needed better roads. Worked out into figures by officials of the government it was found that the aa- nual cost in time, money. and labor, of marketing the products of the coun- try, over the existing roads, amounts to from $35O,OOO,OO to $4OO, ,OOO, 900 more than the cost would be if the roads were good. and that this excess of cost is entirely waste a bad road tax on the resources of the country
 States and communities have en- deavored to remedy the condition, and | much has been accomplished. in plac- | es. About 2OO,000 miles of improved | roads have been constructed through | out the country. about 10 per cent of | the little more than 2,0OO.OOO miles of | existing highways These have re- suited in the enhancement of land i values. in more intensified farming, in greater production, in the localities where they have been constructed.
 Where the greatest mileage of inn pI eyed roads have been constructed. mt mt in the utilization of automobiles, which produces a strictly economic gain over the slower methods of trans port used in past years. Traffic be- tween states has reached proportions which force the road improvement out of purely local con and it becomes one for a iatiOn to deal with
 And when the nation comes to deal with the subject, as it assuredly must here is no question but that the of our senators and rep esentatives in congress will produce plan which will be just to all sec ions of the country and to all inter- , 'sts involved; and which will. in the , curse of its operation. result in great enefits to all the people. in the de i 'elopment of their social. physical i nd financial welfare. and add mate ' tally to the greatness of our country's I f