The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-30

president OF the National Old Trails
ocean to-Ocean Road, tersely summed
up the matter in these words:
The road extending across town
ship of course has value. Ii has in
creased value when it goes across a
county; IT mas considerably Increased
value when 1t extends across a State:
but 1t is OF Infinitely more value when
it extends from State to State, across
the Continent"
The advocates OF this particular road
across the country. which would At into
system OF national highways, such
as is contended for by the ~ A. A
National Good Roads Board, believe in
a comprehensive plan. even though,
according to Judge Lowe. they are
striving that their interstate avenue
of communication ought to be the first
one built
I'VE don't stand for our road to tho
exclusion of, any other road" states
Judge Lowe. land want to say fur
ther that IL there IL any other line Of
road which ought to receive consider
alton first, which ought to be built
first, and which has greater claims
than our road. as historic as 1t is, we
are ready to get behind that road and
stand for 1t just as strongly as we are
ready to stand for the National Old
Trails Road. Ii 1 had my way about
II, 1 would build great national sys-
tenn of roads leading from our ma
tional capital to the ca pital OF every
State in the Union. I would stand be-
hind that proposition until it went
out through the country as the system
we are in favor Of. Some say that that
would bankrupt the government Have
you ever stopped 10 think what 1t
would cost? Probably 1900 miles OF
road will build trunk line through
f,.l 0f
Union. Put it at the highest pos
slble figure, to build the best road
that modern engineering has devised
making the average about $4,000 per
mile. The western half of these roads
will cost a whole lot less than the
eastern half. Eighteen thousand miles
multiplied by $4,000 makes what?
S216,000.000. We have spent millions
OF dollars upon the Improvement OF
rivers and harbo-s, and millions Of dol
lars or the Improvement OF the Pana-
ma Canal lie doesn't take lifetime
to accomplish q big thing nowadays
Within five years this whole country
ought to be gridironed with national
roads. After carrying out our plan OF
these national highways, let the States
and counties build and maintain their
own roads connecting with the ma
tional system; and then we will have
roads that are worth while and there
will be no conflict of authority any
| where.
Now let us get together. And, after
all-and this was an education to my
self as well--when 1 travelled over that
old road from ocean to ocean. as
have done. II gradually dawned upon
me that the people III Ohio, Pennsyl-
vania. West Virginia and Maryland
and all the other States, were the Same
people that I had always known and
associated with. that they were not
different from the people of Kentucky,
where was born and raised, nor diff
ferent from the people OF my adopted
State, Missouri; that they were the
same people. the same nationality. with
the same environment. the same aspir-
atoms, the same hopes and the same
God"
1t is interesting TO note in various
parts OF the country the gradual i'm
proving methods in many or the States
in regard to road Improvement. Ar
kansas has just voted to establish q
State highway department. while Ida
no has done the same, in addition to
which an appropriation OF 100000 has
been made to be used In laying, sur
veying and starting the construction
of system OF State highways. Pro-
missing legislation is pending in Maine,
Pennsylvania, Missouri and several
other States.