The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-10-03
National Highways vs.. federal
Ald."


anonymously. Notwithstanding the
fact that these two terms represent
two entirely different ideas and
systems in regard to highway i'm
provement by the National Govern
ment.
The National Highways ASsocia-
ton and other advocates of Nation
al roads favor the construction OF
a system of trunk lines connecting
the principal cities of the country,
entirely at the expense of the gov
eminent and under government con-
troll. These advocates believe that
the States should build certain sec
ondary roads entirely at the States
expense, and under State control,
and that the counties should build
a third class of roads entirely at
the counties expense, and under
the counties control. This, : in a
general way. is the plan on which
the French road system is based.
The advocates of Federal Aid"
for road building do not favor the
trunk lines or highways at the gov
srnment's expense; they believe
that the government should appro-
pirate money for road building and
hand It over to the States for the
States to spend on State roads.
Before 1t is possible to have an
intelligent discussion of the road
question, it Is necessary to have
. clear understanding of the mean
ing OF the two terms; they involve
the basic principles of highway con-
struction and administration.
An extract from an address by
Hon. John H. Small, Congressman
from the First North Carolina Dis
tr1ct. and a member of the Com
mittee on Rivers and Harbors is
interesting because it illustrates
one instance in which this eonfu-
sion in the use of the two terms
has been cleared up. The address
was delivered at the recent Conven-
ton OF the North Carolina Good
Roads Association, at Morehead
City N. c.. and led more or less
directly to the action of the Con-
vention by which an amalgamation
was effected and the North Caro-
lima organization became the North
Carolina division of the National
Highways Association. Congress
man Small said:
81 am impressed with the idea of
the Federal Government and the
States undertaking to build a
nystemat1eed series of National
Highways. and the appointment of
Z commission to consider. all the ele-I
ments that enter into the problem
OF building highways. The idea Is
. revelation to me. My thought
has all along been Federal Coop
GRAFTON with the States. appropriat-
ting so much money to be expen-
ded In the States in cooperation
Or In conjunction with certain mo-
ney appropriated by the States and
she local communities. But this
sdsa OF. tho Federal Government it
sef building great national high
ways and Interstate highways. which
shall bind us all together In stron-
ger ties; stronger than they have
perhaps ever been before; stronger
possibly than our great interstate
line OF railroads; stronger than has
been consumated by the telegram
and telephone Of our admirable
postal sefiesrthis idea is new to
me. am IN favor, say, of the
United States building a national
system OF highways; and there is
nothing in the Constitution, moth
me in our theory Of government.
which initiates against this idea. |
But let US remember that that does
not in the slightest degree mini
mice the necessity Of States, coun-
tlbs and townships doing their share
and having their system for the
budding OF roads"