Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-11-15
GOVERNOR WILSON
FOR BETTER ROADS
Presioent eject Declares He ls for
better Hiohwsya---Wants Gov.
eminent TO Aid

The election OF Woodrow Wilson 10
the presidency OF the United States
carries with II encouragement to the
advocates Of federal aid IN highway
Improvement II assure an admins
American Automobile association and
other bodies who are cooperating with
Il In the work 10 fe.estabiish the pol
Icy OF road building az one OF the fixed
aud definite policies OF the national
government
Presidenteleot Wilson in many ad.
dresses has voiced his belief IN the
wisdom OF national Improvement of
means OF communication and partie
ularly to roads. TO which he speciical-
~ referred in his address Mt Atlantic
city. on that occasion saying among
other things;
n nation Ia bound together by It's
means OF communication. and it's
teams Of communication create It's
thought
1--WE must more ana more engage
the government IN providing the gem
eral facilities Of the common life.
There is no breach in that Of any Of
our older understandings OF the finc.
lions Of government We have never
doubted that the government had the
right 10 supply these Facilities which
private endeayor haA never been ex-
pected to supply Therefore we are
not upon new ground Of theory. we
are merely upon new ground Of
facts.
THE question OF highways is one
of the few great Observation-Disclosures OF
our public and our communal life
which the government is OF necessity
connected see that we must do
what we have been backward In doing
as compared with other nations.
4 tell yon frankly that my interest
In good roads IL not merely an inter
est Ia the pleasure OF riding in auto
mobiles II is not merely an interest
In the much more important matter Of
affording farmers Of this country and
residents In villages means of ready
access to such neighboring markets
as they need for economic benefit
but II Is also the interest Ia weaving
as complicated and elaborate q net Of
neighborhood and atatr and national
opinion together AZ A. is possible 10
weave 1t is OF the most fundamental
Importance that the United States
should think In big pieces. should
think together should think ultimate
~ az a whole, and ! feel IN my en-
thuslasm for good roads something o.
the old opposition that there always
has been In me TO ANY kind Of sec
tional feeling.
Il believe that II Is the proper
function OF the government to see to
III chat the extension OF all the vari-
ed modern knowledges, about charas-
teristics Of different sc.is, ought to be
so extended. so carried everywhere
TO the farmer as 10 build up by the
aid Of the government. this thing that
reeds us. and ought to continue 10 feed
the world. and whenever you speak
Of thatf whenever yon increase what
the United States is doing, you must
Immediately increase the facilities
Of the United states by handling
what Il has made 1t. You cannot ra-
tionally increase the prosperity Of
this country, without Increasing the
road facilities Of this country"
IN view Of these expressions, the
feeling among federal aid advocates
il that there should be little delay
Ia obtaining from congress the adoi
ton OF comprehensive and inteili-
gent plan for national participation IN
the good roads movement on a more
extensive scale than has heretofore
been contemplated The beginning
o. President Wilson's administration
win be signalizcd by the assembling
at Washington on Marcs 8 and 7
1913. Of the second Federal Aid
Good Roads convention under the ali-
spices Of the a. A. A. II Is believed
that thiD OCCASION viii mark the he
,i4tiit1t, af 4 un4A ara. Ia NAT f1fasai f,ff4-