East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-04-02
PRESIDENT LOWE
TALKS ON ROADS

| ROauS tIldt go somewhere Is an
expression which is being heard in
cessantly in connection with the coun-
try-wide attention to the improve
ment of the highways. Judge ]. NJ
Lowe, president of the National Old
Trails Ocean-to-Ocean Road, tersely
summoned up the matter in these
words:
"A road extending across a town
ship of course has value: it has in
creased value when it goes across a
county; it has considerably increased
value when it extends across a state:
but it is of infinitely more value when
1t extends from state to state. across
the continent"
The advocates of this particular
road across the country, which would
fit into system of national highways
such as is contended for by the A. A.
A. National Good Roads board, be.
lieve in a comprehensive plan, even
though. according to Judge Lowe, they
are striving that their interstate ave.
nue. of communication ought to be
the first one built.
we don't stand for our road to the
exclusion of any other road" states
Judge Lowe, "and 1 want to say fur
ther that if there is any other line of
road which ought to receive consider
alton first, which ought to be built
flrst, and which has greater claims
than our road, as historic as 1t is, we
are ready to get behind that road and
stand for it just as strongly as we are
ready to stand for the National Old
Trails road. If 1 had my way about
1t. l would build a great national sys-
tenn of roads leading from our Ma
tonal Capital to the capital of every
state in the union. l 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 to think what
it would cost? Probably $4,000 miles
of road will build trunk line through
every capital of every state of the un-
ion. Put it at the highest possible
figure, to build the best road that
modern engineering has devised, MAX
ing 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?
$216,OOO,000. We have spent millions
of dollars upon the improvement OF
rivers and harbors, and millions Of
dollars on the improvement of the Pa
mama canal. 1t doesn't take q life
time to accomplish a big thing nova
days. 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 national SYSTEM and then we
will have roads that are worth while
and there will be no conflict of au-
thority anywhere
Now let us get together. And.
after all,-and this was an educa-
ton to myself as well-when l Travelled
over that old road from ocean to
ocean, as ! have done, it gradually
dawned upon me that the people In
Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
and Maryland and all the other states
were the same people that I had al
ways known and associated with, that
they were not different from the peo-
pie Of Kentucky, where l was born
and raised nor different from the peo-
pie of my adopted state. Missouri; |
that they were the same people, the
same nationality, with the same en-
the same aspirations, 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 of the states |
in regard to road improvement. Ar
kansas has just voted to establish a |
state highway department, while Ida |
no has done the same, in addition to |
which an appropriation of 5000, 900 |
has been made to be used in laying, |
and starting the construc-
lion of a system of state highways.
Promising legislation is pending in
Maine, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and
several other states.