Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-05
FAVOR THE HIGHWAY
Boulevard to Gettysburg as
Memorial to Lincoln.
ADVOCATES HEARD TODAY
House Library Committee Addressed
by Gen. Black. Representative
Borland and Others.
ADVOCATES, HEARD TODAY

The bill introduced by Representative
Borland of Missouri proposing that the
! two-million-dollar appropriation for me-
mortal to Abraham Lincoln be utilized in
the building Of a great highway from the
National Capital to Gettysburg was the
subject of hearing today before the
House committee on library, of which
Representative Slayden of Texas is chair
man.
Gen. Black. president of the civil serv-
ice commission: Gen Andrews grand
commander of the Grand Army of the
Republic: Representative Borland. the
author of the measure. and George c.
Diehl, chairman of the highway commit
tee of the American Automobile Associa-
ton, spoke in favor of the Borland bill
to remove the legislative restriction at
present in force. which prohibits the erec-
tion of Lincoln memorial outside of the
District. This was done, it was said, SO
that the road project could be considered.
Mr.. Diehl ridiculed the statements
which he said had been made by OPP
ponents of the highway project to the
effect that the seventy two miles of read
between here and Gettysburg would cost
$4,000, 600 to build and $1,000, OOO year to
maintain. On the contrary, he insisted
that q twenty four-foot road, with an
eight,inch base. could be built for about
ST. 5OD,DO. and would cost, inclusive of
replacement every ten years, about $3.50
a mile a year to maintain.
Object Lesson in. New York.
Mr.. Diehl called attention to the fact
in connection with these claims that the
state of New York had built more than
5000 miles Of fine highway for less than
the $34, 600 900, which it was claimed the
seventy-two miles of road to Gettysburg
would cost.
"And those 1900 miles, he said, 'are
maintained by the state of New York at
about one-sixth of what opponents of this
plan claim it would cost to maintain a
Lincoln Memorial Highway to Gettys-
burg.
About $4,000 a mile would build the
Lincoln road. Mr.. Diehl declared. To
maintain 1T perfectly forever would
cost the government only $4,000 a
year. He thought one patrolman every
sufficient.
'Give him the necessary TOOLS" said
Mr.. Diehl, land he could make all the
necessary minor repairs to Che section
of road under his care"
The right of way for the road would
not cost the federal government a cent,
in Mr.. Diehrs opinion. On the contrary
he was confident the people holding land
along the proposed right of way would
be only too glad to donate the necessary
portion to the federal government, as the
value of their property would be greatly
enhanced by the construction of this
great memorial project right by their
front doors.
Favored by Mr.. McCleary.
Former Representative James p. Nc
Cleary Of Minnesota, who for ten years
was chairman of the House library COM
mittee, before which today's hearing was
held, and who for six years was chair
man of the District subcommittee of the
House committee ON appropriations, and
consequently had charge of the origina-
ton in the House of all local appropria-
tons. made brief but stirring speech in
favor Of the road project.
The question before us today is eA-
tremely simple" Mr.. McCleary said, las
it amounts only to this: Shall you pre-
clude the consideration of this highway
project. No one has authority to put up
a Lincoln memorial except in the Dis
trfct of Columbia. This highway PROPOSE
ton should have a show for it's white
alley. BY reporting this bill You do not
decide this question, you merely give the
highway project a chance for cOnsidera-
ton, a chance to assert itself. And you
give Congress a chance to pass on the
relative merits Of the contending PROPOSE
| TONS"
Regarded as Labor of Love.
One of the members of the committee
showed Mr.. McCleary a bunch of ltera-
| ture sent out by the Lincoln Memorial
Road Association of America, of which
Mr.. McCleary is president, and his son.
Leslie p. McCleary is executive secre-
| tary. Charles ]. Glidden of Massachu-
| sets, donor Of the Glidden trophy, is the
associations secretary. Mr.. McCleary was
asked who paid for getting out this litera
| ture, and replied that he and his son had
paid for the major part of it. and tina,
| with them it was q labor of love-"
/ AT the session of the library commit s
| this afternoon, Director Page of the guoJ
| roads bureau Of the Agricultural Depart
ment. and other highway engineers from
here and elsewhere. will be heard in favor
of the BOrland bill