The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Commercial Club Plans Omaha.
Topeka Roadway.
Would Bring Much Auto Traf-
fic Through Topeka.
FALL TRAVEL is HEAVY
There Is Rivalry Between Kan
Sas Road Associations.
Roads Near Topeka Not Up to
Kansas Standard.

&c road from Omaha to Topeka, and
thus connecting the transcontinental
automobile route with the midcon-
tinent route, a part of which is the
Colder belt route running through
Topeka.
This would mean that hundreds of
/ additional motorists would come
through Topeka yearly, according to
George w. Stansfield, chairman of the
good roads committee of the CONNER
tial club.
of Hiawatha. 1t is already in the
Blue Book the official guide of the
American Automobile association but
it has not been improved to a sufficient
extent to cause any great amount of
travel to come this way.
The local forces Interested have
made arrangements with big auto
tire firm to put signs up along the
route to mark the trail, and every eff
fort will be put forth to have the road
improved.
.Automob ilists coming from Omaha,
f they choose, may strike the Old
and the New Santa F'e Trail road at
Emporia. The road from Omaha to
Topeka goes through Hiawatha.
Travel Is Heavy.
There is an extraordinary amount
of automobile travel at the present
time in Kansas, and in fact in the
entire country. On any popular kan
SaS thoroughfare one will meet cars
haiIing from all parts of the country.
There is considerable rivalry be-
tween the different road associations
in Kansas to get the lions share of
the travel The Golden Belt Route,
which passes through Topeka, is be-
coming more frequented by tourists
but it will be necessary to do a lot of
work on the road in the next year to
hold the travel. At least this is the
opinion of autoists who are in a po-
sition to know
'"The roads in the immediate vicinity
of Topeka are worse than any in this
portion of the state, was the state
ment of a prominent local business
man; and others are saying the same
thing.
Recently a group of cars en- route
from California to New York went
from Emporia to Kansas City by way
of the New Santa Fe Trail, because
they had been told that the roads were
poor near the capital city. They
would have preferred to come this
way"
From Dozen States.
ct was out in the central part of
the state a few days ago." said
Charles Barnes, president of the Kan
sas Automobile association, and got
into Topeka just ahead of the big rain
storm. On the road I saw cars from
more than a dozen different states,
among them being represented Colo
rado California, Idaho, New Mexico,
Nevada, Texas South Dakota, Missou-
ri, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio.
I even ran across car from OLD
Mexico.
'aThese cars cost all the way from
six or seven hundred dollars to six or
leven thousand dollars In the next
marka BILE extent on account of the
reduction in prices. In 1915 thousands
of cars will come through Kansas
from the east on their way to the
west coast. These tourists spend con-
siderable money along the way
Slump in Railroad Travel.
1t is reported that the socalled sum-
mer travel on the railroads this last
cent below the volume in 1911. One
passenger traffic man explained things
in this way
IT was a guest at the leading hotel
in Colorado Springs last August. When
1 went down to the dining room at the
dinner hour 1 expected to see every
one arrayed, as usual, in dinner dress
There was scarcely a man or woman
tionaI fashion. Upon inquiry I learn
ed they had reached Colorado Springs
by automobile. They did not carry
+ewelry or fancy toys witt them.
Later that evening 1 passed place |
where a large number of automobiles
had been parked. I noticed numbers
from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and
other states. That the automobile is
not to be disputed"
Favors National Roads.
1t is well known that the American
association greatly favors
the construction of a system of ma /
tional roads by the federal government !
as a logical development of the high |
way systems of the various states. |
and where the traffic is linn
tied to local purposes, property own
ers and townships build roads. When
the roads become arteries of commerce
for a number of townships, the county
constructs or aids in their construc
ton. When the roads extend from one
county seat to another, or between /
large centers of population or import
ant points, the states should, and, do
in most instances, either aid in their
or build them as state
roads
THE continuation of the idea is in
evitable in the minds of thinking men,
says Chairman Diehl of the A A. A
board. When the roads are of an in
terstate character, extending from one
state capital to another, or between
large cities, or to prominent resorts.
or shipping points, SO that state lines
do not figure in the travel over them,
the federal government should build
and maintain them. 1t is not material
to the subject, that every mile of such
4 road forms a continuously overlap
ping basis for the origination of local
traffic, and to that extent fulfills the
functions of a local road; the same
may be said of the state road, and
the county road. 1t must be remem-
bered that owing to immense mileage
Of township roads. which in most states
are kept in more or less repair at
township expense, the burden falls
more heavily on the townships than
on any other interest; and that by as
suming their fair share Of the respon-
sibility, as they receive their fair
share of the general prosperity which
results-the county, the state, and the
nation should do their part in the gem