Gunnison news-champion., 1913-09-26
~ f.dwara KeaaIng.
Congressman al large tFom Colorsao

alive % The Importance ~ good
rosds ! have spent three weeks IN
the state aaa wherever ! hsse gone,
have foand the same Iniense in
tere-s IN the improvement II the
Commonwealsh' hi9h~ays For .
time II seemed b me thai oar people
we're deVotlns TOO much time end
energy - the suhjeci of ,ranscosti-
Mental roads-eEest hl1hways which
would eaide the artoist from eesaa
10 ocean and neelectsns the noss
prosa,c but infinitely more usilitsri-
an work Of betterins the roads With
in the boundaries Of the ssa,e.
found thai the Denver eommer-
cial organizations were winning sad
dining the representatives II vsrioss
good roads associations who wess
said TO be Engaged oa the task Of
laying out the system Of nssioaol
hi9hwsys One Of these msstioes1,
was quoted as saying thss bic ore..i-
zstioa had presented bill 70 Osa-
eress calling for sn sppreprissios q
el5.U0.00o 10 build q trssscosei-
MENTAL highway sad that he he'd -
surancs that it would be pssssi
without serious opposition. Hs IN
timsted that unless Colorado bsssis-
red itself and united it's enersiss
With those Of his oresnizssioa shs
road would not touch this stsse.
A great many loyal Colossdoa.s
were disturbed by the gentlsasn's .
remarks and they were long in their
demands that the people Of the sssAs
do whatever was necessary to placste
these all-powerful "pathfnders"
sHoUID NOT STAMPEDE"
While it would not be exactly jsss
to say that Coloradoans are mercuri-
al, yet it is true that we are some-
times easily "stampeded" by the
''tenderfoot" with an idea who
Temporarily stretches his legs beneath
our hospitable boards There is
some danger that we NAV "stam-
pede" on this good road question,
and this letter is written with the
hope that it may shed little light
ON Congress plans for the improve
ment Of our highways.
First of all we should understand
that all these ''pathfnders" who are
chasing back and forth across the
continent logging national highways
are without official standing. They
may be, and undoubtedly are, doing
a good work, but they do not repre-
sent Congress or the national ad
ministratiou and they are not author.
lzed TO bind any branch of the
national government In most in.
stances their expenses are met by /
organizations which are promoted 1
and financed by automobile manu-
facturers and the makers of road
material and machinery They have
helped immensely in arousing
public interest IN good roads and
Tor that they are entitled To unstint-
ed praise, but their official status, or
rather their lack of official status,
should be known so as to avoid
misunderstanding.
If Uncle Sam ever undertakes the 4
construction of national highways.
his engineers will select the route.
determine the materials aud super
wise the construction.
SENTIMENT IN CONGRESS
Personally, ! do not believe the
present Congress will look with favor
on road building bureau. | am
one OF the Western members Of the
good roads committee Of the House
OF Representatives and have been
TO some pains to ascertain the senti-
ment Of my colleagues.
The very great majority of the
House aud Senate believe that the
government should be more than
generous in the aid it extends to the
good roads movement The pre-
ponderence Of sentiment. however.
favors having the work done under
the supervision of the Highway