Evening star., 1913-02-02

the country at large along practicable
and equitable lines of federal participa-
ton in road building.
Every state will have official repre-
sentation through delegation named by
it's governor, which in many instances
includes the state highway engineer or
member of the highway commission OF
the state. The business organizations of
the country will be represented by dele
cations appointed by the leading cham
bers of commerce and boards of trade.
The farmers will have representation
through delegations named by the Vdfl-
Gus state oranges. and the Or"aniZed mo-
torists and road users throughout the
country are alive to the Importance of
this nationwide gathering OF Sood roads
enthusiasts In outlining a feasible road
building policy Chairman Diehl of the
A. y. A. national good roads board makes
the following comments:
THE highway development of the
country might very properly be divided
into four great subdivisions: National
roads. by which is meant the main trunk
highways of a state, north and south and
east and west. \ fair estimate OF the
mileage of such national system of
roads would not exceed a total OF H",ot
miles. Such national highways would
naturally bear the brunt of transporta-
ton. passing they would through the
large centerS of population, through the
capitals of the states. connecting such
capitals with each other and with the
national capital, tnuS IoIHilIlS Il toiIlIiclt
system of interstate highways. 1t is with
the construction and maintenance OF such
national highways that the federal gov
ernment should be concerned, and the
burden of their construction and mainte-
nance should be borne by the federal
government unaided by the states More
over. the type of government highway
should be as nearly perfection as the
knowledge of present-day highway en-
gineering could contrlVe. and would serve
II. tatT thIIS ia lIAh
ing a proper standard of road building,
which would place the United States high
i'm the ranks of the world s road builders.
with the national system of highways
constructed and maintained by the federal
government the states have large held
for road activity in caring for the state
system, and here we arrive at the second
of the great subdivisions of road build
ing. Such state highways SAould include
all roads connecting the county seats with
each other and with the capital of the
state, and would be branches of the main
trunk of national highways. They should
be built at the expense OF the state alone.
without assistance from the counties or
townships: likewise the maintenance of
state roads should be borne by the state
alone
THE third subdivision in workable
road building policy is again a mat
concerned. and might properly be
des. .gnated as the country roads sys-
tenn meaning the highways which
would form the main market roads
in each state. and make ii well developed
system of highways in each county. the
central point of which would naturally be
the county seat. Such county highways
should he paid for at the joint expense
of the state county and township. in such
proportions as would best meet the need
of the various states
Lastly we have the town highways.
which form the fourth subdivision in the
system. Such town highways might best
be governed by the town superintendentS,
and would vary as the local conditions OF
each town would demand. They should be
built jointly at the expense of the state
and the town, the cost being borne equal
", both for construction and maintenance.
In this manner system OF town nigh
ways would fit into the county system,
lust as the county system would become
a part of the state system, and that IN
turn a part of the national highways.