Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-01

more do we, with our huge territory,
require them?
Many idealists and dreamers have
proposed national road systems for
this country. Usually the system has
been worked out with a map, ruler,
pencil, and sublime faith, Noun
tains, lakes, rivers and forests form
no obstacles to such visionary road
systems. The national highways sys-
TEN, as shown on this map, is the
! product of no such dream, The high
ways indicated are either the best
present roads from point to point, or
what are, in the Judgment of a trained
and experienced corps of road engin-
eers, the best possible and practicable
roads from point to point
But these engineers, who worked
months on hundreds of large scale
maps, and with the aid of nation
wide correspondence Of more than
fifteen thousand personal letters ask
ing information aud advice know this
system Is only tentative. 1t is but a
suggestion. 1t is not intended to be
anything else. There must be be-
ginning to everything, and little head
way can be made without some such
careful plan from which to start.
II Links States Together.
Study the map and see where your
home lies with relation to the high
ways. II it is on a MAN, trunk or
link line, you will probably like the
system. But if you live somewhere
that this system does not touch, don't
condemn the system. Remember that
It is designed to connect the states
with each other. 1t is intended to
touch every large city, every state
capital, and to bring closer together
the several parts of the country. The
roads are as straight as the contour
= of the country will permit, without
an impossible expenditure Of money
to tunnel mountains or bridge lakes
and rivers. Remember, too, that your
2 locality would be connected with sucf
, a system by local road in very
/. short time
| Notice that there are three classes
1 of highways, main, trunk and link
5 The main highways are six in mum
e ber, Northern, Central, Southern At
!. lantc, Mississippi and Pacific. These
e form the starting point and the bash
/ of the system. Next come thirteer
great trunk lines, feeding and cross
ing the main highways, and connect
@ ing the various sections of the coun
e try in more intimate relations, FINAL!
e come forty link highways-smalle
n national MISUNDERSTANDING a grid
L iron Of the whole system.
( Building the System.
r To build such a system complete
a will take a mans lifetime and hug,
G amount Of money, II the wealth o
81 the world were ready TO build thi
p system tomorrow, 1t would still TAX,
4 many years. because there are avail
!. able neither engineers nor knowledge
f enough to do It quickly
y When this, or u similar system o
n national highways is built-and bull
o It surely will be some day-it will b
q by q National Highways commission
d which first locates and then builds
v one or more roads at time, learning
J.. as It builds. When this huge amour
It Of money is spent-as II Is bound Z
y bet will be gradually and throug
r. an annual appropriation,
e II New York can afford five mil
j. lions year for road building, Is
Is unreasonable to suppose the Unite
States government can afford te
times as much-or fifty millions
s, year?
$, Think Il over. Look at the maj
m Study It and see how II will affe'
" YOU and your home. II you have an
10 suggestions to make, or criticisms
Il offer, the national highways associi
a tion would like to hear them
The system as outlined is only
rs beglnning-a suggestion, But II