Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-23
IMPROVING COUNTRY
ROADS IS IMPORTANT
Grange Officer Champions
Good Highway
System.

Good roads everywhere is what the
automobilists are striving for. and their
organized efforts encompass the inn
provement of the county and township
roads as we'll as the more Travelled high
ways" states Laurens Enos. president
of the American Automobile Associa-
ton. which nation-w wide body of road
users is accelerating the movement most
substantially through its 500 clubs scat
tered all over the country.
"A motor-driven vehicle nowadays can
challenge roads not deserving of the
name, comments Mr.. Enos, "and so IL
is that in the development of country
life the autoist requires much To dis
courage him in his goings into the by
ways, which, like the other avenues or
communication, demand consideration in
proportion to their growing use. 1t is
our belief that the betterment of these
roads properly devolves upon the town
ship. with well defined corporation
from the state through a highways de-
partment which also has to do with the
county roads. i'm conjunction with the
county authorities.
But in seeking the participation o.
the federal government in roads progress
We cannot bring ourselves to believe
that national aid means "A donation OF
national funds for local purposes
ITO ask the national government to
do that which properly devolves upon
the local community is basically wrong
and untenable. Our government is com
posed of state units: the source t.
which the community should appeal is
the state. which in turn should go 10
the federal fountain head for co-opera-
ton along lines which are interstate
and otherwise sufficiently general "
Justify the employment of national
funds But to call upon the nationa
government to deal with local units d.
rect, and ignoring the state government
is procedure contrary to constitutional
rights and common sense.
Pleads for Country Roads.
In his address at the American Road
Congress at Atlantic City. y. p. Hull.
the lecturer of the National Grange. i'm
closing gave utterance to this sentiment:
Il call upon the American Automobile
Association. with the men who are striv-
ing, as many of you are striving. and
legitimately and fairly striving, to build
transcontinental highways. improved
highways: if you please to keep In minn
while you are studying this question ana
using your efforts to build those great
highways connecting the cities or the
country, that you will not forget the
necessity to you and to me, the necessity
to this great nation of ours. the great
economic need of improving the common
country highways. from the home of the
man at the other end of the bad road to
the city. that you may be better OF. ana
that the farm people of the United States
may be better off.
Commenting upon Mr.. Hulls pertinent
summation of the roads problem, Chair
man George c. Diehl of the national
good roads board has this opinion 10
express: IF the nation helps the state
along proper lines. then the state in turn
can help the counties and townships. To
bring about the adoption of an equitable
plan which shall commend itself is the
sole motive which has actuated the \.
A. A. in calling the series of federal aid
conventions in Washington, ID. G. the
second of which will take place al the
Raleigh March u and :, with very rep
resentative attendance assured.
Indicating clearly the progressiv"
thought which the National Grange Of
ficers are giving to the question of high
ways is the following from the annual
report of State Grange Master j. Arthur
Sherwood of Connecticut: The grange
is, and should he. the champion of good
roads The increasing number of motor
vehicles upon our highways presents a
problem difficult of solution. The legit
innate demand of automobile traffic must
be met. Stretches of road here and
there are pleasing. but the continuous
mileage is what the farmer Well
the motorist desires. | believe that
continuation of our present policy III
Connecticut will insure this in due time
Chairman c. S. Stetson of the Ma
tional Grange executive committee j.
prominent in the list OF speakers for
the forthcoming federal aid convention.