The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-06
PORK BARREL men
Face HARD FIGHT


tiettysburg highway would cost $li0,-
600 a mile, or II total OF 1900, 900, II
IL were made no more imposing than
the one proposed for Mount Vernon.
I$ut II Is proposed that the Gettys-
burg memorial shall have three road
ways for different kinds of traffic
and four strips OF parking. thus doub-
line the estimated cost and making 1t
S34 900. 600.
Nor do the Gettysburg boomers stop
at parking and drtveways. They would
add memorial structures and these, TO
be effective. should be- at least one
half n mile apart, according to Mr..
Brown and would -cost about e A.. esey-
098. The total cost OF the Gettysburg
project, therefore, would be from $40
900 600 to 100000 with "A mainte-
nance cost, based on the experience of
New York, Of from $2.00o.ooo to S.,
900 900 year. New York reports
that her automobile highways must be
rebuilt every four years, but the engf-
neers OF the District OF Columbia state
that once in ten years would be often
enough for the Gettysburg highway.
1t would thus be seen that the $4,000
900 appropriated by Congress for n
dignifed and beautiful memorial to
Abraham Lincoln in the city founded
by George Washington and visited ar
nually by hundreds of thousands Of
tourists. would be only drop In the
bucket II measured b. the capacity
, of the Washington to Gettysburg
scheme to absorb the peoples money.
Congress Not to be Trusted.
Notwithstanding the extravaganza
! implied in the Gettysburg programme.
the friends OF the other plan will make
/ mistake II they rely too much on
! the good sense of Congress to protect
the $2.000,o0o now safely In hand. The
Pennsylvania members naturally are
| worktn" hard for the Gettysburg
d. scheme. and only the other day one OF
/ them wrote to a constituent that he
I believed it would 60 through. The
! Maryland men fayer Ii also. a. the
| road would run most of its length
, over Maryland soil Now Virginia Is
! swinging into line, on the understand
ing that II the Gettysburg scheme
! goes through. Virginia and the south
| later will ask that the highway be
! extended to Richmond. This idea is
/ strong in it's sentimental aspect, for
such highway would connect the
| capital of the United States with the
/ spot where was fought the greatest
! battle OF the Civil War and where
/ rose the high tide OF the Confeder-
! acy. on the north; and on the south
/ with the capital of the Southern Con-
federacy. which for more than four
years was the objective joint of the
! Union armies.
The final decision In the matter
I rests with Congress The American
Institute of Architects IL urging that
/ the site on the Mall be adopted for
the Following reasons-fatrst-tth aa
been unanimously recommended after
| Is careful study by three expert COM
/ missions as the one suitable site In
the District Of Columbia: second. II
has met tho unanimous approval OF
artistic societies In this country ant
Europe. third. II Is on government
! property and the total sum appro.
prtsted can be expended on the me.
mortal Tho society opposes tn.
roadway project because a roadwa,
| Ia not an individual or intimate ex.
preston of appreciation. like a monu-
! mental structure. and the Idea ha.
been opposed by two expert commits.
sions. and because of the enormous
cost
Government and Road Building.
No one. not even among the friends
Of the Potomac site. opposes the idea
Of roadway to Gettysburg or OF a
national system Of good roads. e&
cept AZ a memorial which. In the far@,
plaza. would deprive the nattona
CAPITAL of what would appear to b,
Its due. and. secondly. would no,
be distinctive artistic trihuta to the
memory Of Lincoln. Government road
! huifding II STRONGLY opposed IN Con.
I Fress On grounds of economy; and
| President Taft has refused to com.
NIT himself TO q policy Of government.
cooperation In the construction OF
/ highways because ef the drain which
the policy would make on the public
treasury. In fact. tho treasury Is In
no condition to stand any extra drair
whatever. As a matter OF fact, II
the outlook for government highways
! were one-half as good as It IL fol
government development of water
| ways. the waterway project would
instantly md Itself confronted with
rival which might uitimatei,
triumph. Congress has refused t.
enthuse much over waterways be.
cause they get no votes" II tho
! people once got the idea that thu
government Ia willing to spend none,
to improve in roads used for auto.
mobile and commercial traffic. ever
Civil War pensions would be sur.
passed as vote-getters.
Opposed to Pork Barrel
John A. Stewart, who with Howard
d. Hadley. 10 one OF the leading pro.
motors OF the Quebec Miami inter
national highway. II opposed to tn.
pork barrel method. At q dinner
| OF the Automobile Club he PLACED
himself on record In these words:
Leo A. FolEer writes:
In order to display to the best ad
vantage \ representative car from 1t,
extensive line OF open and enclosed
styles. the Packard Motor Car Com
pany II exhibiting only one vehicle, 4
lsi3 Six" phaeton, In the motor
carriage division OF the New Yorl
! Automobile Show In Madison Sauar,
Garden.
Tho phaeton IL set within a silve,
rail In the middle OF the Packard
space, on the main floor of the gar,
den. and the arrangement permit,
scores OF persons to obtain q e,ot
view at one time. This plan wal
prompted by the fact that the arens
Is jammed during every session o.
| the show.
During the week Of the show u
large special display Of Packard ears
! with all styles of open and enclosed
bodies. Will he made n the store Of
! the Packard Motor Car Company al
Nav York. BROADWAY and HfYfv- ffrs