Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-24
AUTO CLUBS FOR
GOODROADS PLAN
Meridian Route, Extending
from Winnipeg to Calves
ton, Being Agitated.
VIRGINIA LEADING WAY
State Already Possesses Four Well
Defined Lines Running North
and South

Good roads energies represent in
great degree the present activities of
the average automobile club, as is
made apparent by the reports from all
over the country sent by the Amerf-
can Automobile association clubs to
the good roads board of the national
organization The western members
are perhaps more ambitious than the
easterners in the scope of their opera
tons, which fact is indicated by a
communication from the Watertown
Automobile club of the South Dakota
State association, which wants atten-
ton called to the Meridian road" to
run from Winnipeg, Canada, to Calves
ton, Texas. The South Dakota club
insists that its membership will be
800 before the first of April Up in
Maine the state automobile association
has planned a series of meetings in
which Governor Plaisted will be one
of the speakers along with highway
commissioners of adjoining states.
In no part Of the country has there
been greater energy displayed than in
Virginia, thanks to the efforts of Pres
ident Preston Belvin and his associate
officers of the Old Dominion state body
OF motorists. Virginia possesses four
fairly well defined lines of roads travel
running north and south. The Valley
pike, between Hagerstown, Staunton
and Roanoke, is handicapped by the
heavy toll between Winchester and
Stanton, which, undoubtedly, some
day will be done away with.
MAY DIVERT TRAVEL.
The Washington Fredericksburg
Richmond route is now occupying the
greatest notice, and the Washington-s
birthday rally at Fredericksburg
brought this particular line to the
fore. From Washington through War
rentown, Charlottesville, Lynchburg
and Danville there is a third route
southwark, while the fourth line from
Philadelphia, through Delaware TO
Cape Charles, has n relatively small
mileage in Virginia. Unless there is
decided improvement from Norfolk to
Suffolk south. travel on this route is
I
Comfort or Newport News up to Rich
mond and thence south or west.
From President Roy F. Britton of
the automobile club of St. Louis comes
the information that all of the republi-
can members Of the Missouri delega-
ton in congress have placed them
selves on record as being in favor Of
the American Automobile association
plan for securing federal aid. Missouri
all around supplies to congress a nOta,
bly, array of good roads workers, and
these include members OF the tive
leading parties, for it will be TemeR
bered that Speaker Champ Clark is
an avowed advocate of the Lin
coin memorial highway measure
which is being put forward b!
Congressman Borland of the sans
state and political faith.
SMITH FAVoRS PLAN.
In commenting upon the plan fol
the Lincoln memorial highway, no one
has expressed the proposition more Il
i the point than Congressman Charlie
: B. Smith of New York, who voices thi.
! sentiment:
: II wish TO state that / am in favo
Z of the plan for a Lincoln memoria
+ highway. may add that the charaC
: ter OF monument proposed by eertail
+ architects aud other well meaning pei
r sons as a tribute 10 the glory OF Lin
, coin, fails TO accord with the popula
e idea Of the martyred president. know
c OF no better way 10 honor a man VII
s sprung from our hEmoiest citizenship
and ever remained . consistent d.