Arizona republican., 1912-12-29
IF
 ROADS |S SEEN
Movement for Federal Aid Receives Unanimous Ap- proval of Farmers of America Who Claim Con- sumer Should Add Help

| That the movement for federal par | not confined to motorists, but is also | being agitated by the farmers is one ] of the most hopeful indications of it's | ultimate success. On this point the l recent convention of the national | Grange, Patrons of Husbandry the | oldest and most influential of the far mers' organizations. took a decidedly 1 favorable stand. Hon. Oliver Wilson, master of the national grange, in his annual address, stated:
 "The public highway is matter of general concern. The old idea that 1 the country road should be construct ed and maintained by the farmer has disappeared It is now recognized that good roads are of as much inn portance to the consumer as to the producer, as anything that lessens the cost of transportation is a benefit to both.
 "The grange stands for federal aid ! for road improvement There is no good reason why the government should not appropriate money for maintaining and improving the pub | lie highway as for our public water works. Seventy five per cent of the products of our country must pass over the public highway before it can | be transported over our railway or water systems. While the government ! has spent millions of dollars for high way improvement in our foreign pos l sessions, it has never appropriated | one dollar to be used in continental | United States.
 The grange membership is unani- mously in favor of congress making suitable appropriations for highway construction and maintenance. This appropriation should be expended by | national highway commission or board. working in conjunction with similar commissions fro mthe states. The legislative committee of the national grange should be instructed | to use all the influence of the grange upon congress for passage of bill | appropriating a sufficient sum under proper regulations for the improve ment Of our public highways
 I e O Raine of Canton. Mo, chair | man of the grange national commits = | tee on good roads. offered report, which was adopted, indorsing the | plan for a system of national roads, l and the legislative committee of the grange also included federal aid for road improvement among it's recom- mendations. 1 This enthusiastic expression from l the organized farmers means much to 1 the American Automobile association. which is getting plans matured for 1 aS1 | convention at Washington, D. C., l called for March 6 and ', 1913. Par l ticularly interesting have been the re- sponses of many members of both
 houses of the national congress to the 1 request Of the A. A. A. for expres | sions from them of their views on | the subject of national roads.
 Formerly the railroads forced a 1 localization of the travel on high ! ways because of the rapid and effi- 1 cient service which they afforded the | public" writes Representative Will
 liam B Francis of Ohio. But it is
 l readily seen the new device which makes travel on these highways pos l sible at as high rate of speed, and
 l almost as efficient as railroads,
 | brings the necessity for national
 l system, and this is the one great
 thing in the line of progress today =
 'I believe federal aid should con
 template cooperation with the states
 and such concentration of money
 l spent as to insure permanent good
 | roads, built under the supervision oi
 federal road experts" says Represen-
 tative sydney Anderson of Minne-
 sota.
 In addition to inducements from
 these sources, the A. A. A. is receiV-
 ing assurances of enthusiastic CO
 operation from the principal commer-
 cial organizations of the United
 States and naturally from good roads
 l organizations