The Sentinel=record., 1913-09-30
SECRETARY HOUSTON OF DE- APARTMENT AGRICULTURE
 ADDRESSES MEETING
POST ROADS COME FIRST
Although he is Also in Favor of the Transcontinenta Automobile Road Being Promoted in Some Sections of the Country,

Detroit Mich, Sept 29.-Secretarv | Houston, of the United G.atess~ss,,.. partment of agriculture, in an address DeIore the American Road Congress hefe today, expressed his approval or the efforts of the organization and | explained the interest of the federal government with reference to road i building. He urged good roads for the farmer in preference to great irans-cOntinental highways for arto. mobiles and at the same time he said he did not underestimate the valu-
 able service rendered by automobil-
 lsts in the propaganda for road build ing.
 The suggestion of great national transoontinental roads appeals to my imagination as does the suggestion or interstate roads connecting capi- tals or cities of commercial import- ance to my logical faculty and to the sense of pleasure that I experience Ill riding about the country in my friends automobiles But that the essential thing to be done is the pro- Viding of good roads which shall get products from the community farms 10 the nearest station and make rural llle more profitable, comfortable. pleasurable, entertain no sort of aoIb.' and 1t is obvious that the rep resentative of the people in congress are like minded. For in making their recent appropriation of half million dollars for good roads they stipulat- ed that it should be used in improv. inni ina qnQIif infa of fss- &-z-. u view to the economy and efficiency oi postal delivery and for the trans portaton Of farm products to the market
 Such roads are equally essential 10 the establishment and operation or decent elementary and secondary schools for the benefit of the coun- try boy and girls. l do not eliminate other things from consideration and doht underestimate the rights and pleasures of the automobilsts and the service they have rendered in the propaganda for road building.
 That the suggestion of federal aid to road building raises grave oues- tons and involves possible dangers no thoughtful citizen doubts. There are proposals before the public mind which would bankrupt the federal treasury and suggest possible abuses before which those of the worst pork barrel Dills Of the past would pale uto ihslgnifancs, No proposal which ioes not carry with 1t the assurance Dl safeguarding the treasury in this 1lrectlon seems to me to stand tho 5host ot chance of favorable con 
 The first practical essentials in he plan of road legislation would ieem to be to recognize the states IS the smallest unit with which the ederal government might deal This would give relief from he insistent remand that would come from every township and every district in Inc lnlon for It's share of state or fed. 'Ial assistance without reference to he practlcabili.y of the undertaking.
 It would seem that the basic fea- Ire would be such cooperation be. .ween the states and federal govern ment as would leave with the states .he initiative in the selection of roads to receive aid and as much of the i'm mediate construction and mainte. nance as would be practicable.
 Tt also is reasonbly clear that there must be some automatic check on the demands to be made on con- gress and that this should be afford ed through the requirements that the states and the localities should con tribute an amount both for construc- tion and maintenance at least equal to, and possibly double, that contrib uted by the federal government"
 Other speakers before the con. gress today included Logan w Page, president of the American Highway association, who condemned what he termed 'haphazard issues of long term bonds for highway building" A. w. Campbell deputy minister of rail ways and canals in Canada: Wm. D. Schier, chairman Massachusetts state highway commission, and Frank w. Buffum, state highway commissioner of Missouri
 A letter from President Wilson ex- pressed regret because of inability to attend the congress. Every man who wishes to see this great country made the most of, he wrote. must sympathize with efforts now being made to weave i. together by good roads"
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