The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-06-21

tri-weekIy trips over some &c. 600 rural
free delivery routes, each OF which in
wolves the use or an average of about
eight miles OF road. Here are 400. 900
miles of highways used by the federal
government as post roads. Under ev-
cry theory and rule of practice OF the
p~ostoffice department. the safe and
| speedy transmission of the United
States mail is Of paramount import
ance. II takes precedence Of all other
traffic In the streets OF our cities. II
furnishes Justification for the calling in
OF troops to end q railroad strike. 1t
forms the basis for tremendous annual
subsidies to every railroad In the Unit
I'd States. Is il not a sufficiently good
excuse. particularly as 1t is especially
and distinctly sanctioned by the con-
stitution for federal participation on a
liberal scale I'm the construction oe u
national system of good. roads?
Before there We're any railroads
there was no question about h powar
of the federal government to build
highways. Thomas Jefferson did not
question the governments authority,
but. on the contrary, approved heartily
the action OF congress in establishing
the national road. usually known as the
Cumberland road. which was planned
10 connect the seat of government at
Washington with the newly acquired
Louihiana Purchase beyond the Mis-
sissippi. The national road was ur-
veyed across the states OF Maryland.
Virginia. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois to East st. Louis. Il was
actually graded by the federal govern
ment from Cumberland, Nd. to Wheel
ing, o nthe banks Of the Ohio. and un-
I'll the oming of the iron horse It was
the artery through which the COM
merce of han a continent flowed. When
later presidents questioned the consti-
$500 - A. Co. Ahn --A
ance Of the road n 1t was turned
over to the states through which 1t
ran, there was little popular protest.
because the prophetic minds OF that
day saw a vision of railroads traveIs-
ing every farm and putting the horse
out of business as completely as the
prophets of today are predicting the
extinction of the equine species by the
automobile. The constitutional Ques-
tion ought not to be a dif1cult one to
settle. President Taft. who is more or
less Of an authority on constitutional
law. said in his speech ct the A. G. A..
dinner given In New York city. Il adj
nit that the federal government has
the power. for the purpose Of promot-
ing Interstate commerce, to build IA
tionaI roads. 1t has bee lone al
ready With President Taft and
Thomas Jefferson in accord, It is diff
cult to see how either progressiyes or
l SlHHupdtteTS can SERIOUSLY CHdftcttSt
the constitutional right of g to
appropriate public funds for this pur-
pose.
The sentiment In favor OF fna. wIal
cooperation by the federal govern
ment with the state and their sub
divisions In the creation Of a national
system of improved highways is re-
fiected I'm the effort OF the American
Automobile ASSOCIATION to bring togeth-
er representatives of every interest and
organization which desires to have
such a policy adopted. While the or
ganfzed motorists lave taken this mat
ter w., they are not alone In the o
ment, nor indeed is their interest the
paramount one. The simply happen
to be a little better organized for the
purpose OF bringing the subject to a
focus. Cooperating with them In this
movement are such organizations as
the Farmers union. q large number OF
business INT commercial organizations
whose members see the Importance to
commerce and trade in the extension
of highway Improvement, and the au-
thorities of numerous states.
If any evidence were needed of the
nation wide extent of the sentiment in
favor of federal aid for good roads. 1t
could be found In the 35 separate bills
that have been introduced in the
United States congress-, each making
fpithS P'ofi e'hOh ~ a w Gi IiIItI ID
preparation to this end. Senator's and
representatives from Washington,
Maryland, Colrado. North Carolina,
Texas, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Vir-
ginfa, Iowa. Missouri, Ohio, Kansas.
West Virginia, Georgia. Tennessee,
Utah, South Carolina. Idaho and Lou
isiana a " introduced these measures.
Their provisions range all the way
from the establishing Of a commission
to study the subject to an immediate
appropriation of $50. 900. 900 for good
roads. There is a general belief that
the time Is at hand when the United
States must lend it's aid for the inn
provement of our highways, as It has
lent its aid to the construction of our
railroads, the improvement Of our wa
ter courses and the protection of our
harbors. To crystalline this belief into
a definite plan of action is the aim of
the American Automobile association.