Cheyenne record., 1913-09-25
Washington Letter,
BY Edward Heating,
Congressman-at-Large
Erom Colorado.
ErOm Colorado.

ldICS VI SOOO LOoNo. nave
spent three weeks in the State
and wherever / have gone l have
found the same intense inter st
in the improvement OF the Com
monwealth's highways. For a
time it seemed to me that our
people were devoting too much
tlought and energy To the SUBJ
ject 81 transcontinental roads
great highways which would
guide the autoist from ocean to
o.ean-and neglecting the more
prosaic but infinitely more utili-
tartan work OF bettering the
roads within the boundaries OF
the State.
| found that the Denver COM
merciaLorganizations were Win
ing and dining the representa-
tives OF various good road sasso-
Citations who were said to be en-
gagged on the task of laying out
lne system of national highways.
One of these gentlemen was quo
ted as saying that his organlza-
tion had presented bill to Con-
gress calling for an appropriation
Of $l5, 900, 900 to build trans
continental road and that he had
assurances it would be passed
without serious opposition. He
intimated that unless Colorado
bestlrred itself ard united its en-
ergies with those of his organi-
cation that the road might not
touch this state.
A great many loyal Colorado
ans were disturbed by the gen.
tlemans remarks, and they were
loud in their demand that the
people of the State do whatever
was necessary to placate these
all-powerful "pathfinders".
SHOULD NOT '.SrAMPEDE'.
While it would not be exactly
just to say that Coloradoans are
''mercurial", yet'it is true that
we are sometimes rather easily
stampsded" by the 'tenderfooU'
with an idea who temporarily
stretches his legs beneath our
. hospitable boards. There is some
danger that we may stampede"
on this good roads question, and
this letter is written with the
hope that it may shed a little
light on Congress- plans for the
improvement Of our highways.
First of all we should under
stand that all these "path-fnd-
ers' who are chasing back and
forth across the continent log
ging national highways are with
out official standing. They may
be, and undoubtedly are, doing a
good work but they do rot rep
resent Congress or the national
administration and they are not
authorized to bind any branch of
the national government. In
most instances thein expenses are
met by organizations which are
promoted and financed by auto
mobile manufacturers and the
makers of road ma eraial and
machinery. They have helped
immensely in arousing interest
in good roads and for that they
e entitled to unstinted praise.
but their official status-or rather
lack of official status should be
known so as to avoid nisunder-
standing.
If Uncle Sam ever undertakes
the work of constructing nation
al highways, his engineers will
select the routes determine on
the materials, and supervise the
SENTIMENT IN CONGRESS.
Personally. do not believe the
present Congress will look with
favor on the creation of a road
building bureau. / am one of
the Western members of the
Roads Committee of the house of
Representatives and have been
to some pains to ascertain the
sentiments of my colleagues.
The very great majority of the
members Of the House and Sem
ate believe the national govern
ment should be more than gener-
GUS in the aid'it extends to the
good roads movement. The pre-