The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-07
NATIONAL HIGHWAY BOARD.

AS the result of much agitation in
the last few years. it is likely that the
national government will appoint a
commission of experts to investigate
the whole subject OF good roads in this
country and 10 recommend the best
methods which the federal government
can adopt in the building of roads. If
the government decides TO put com
| mission in the field it will not be linn
tied to n narrow scope of Investigation,
| Tint provision OF the national consti
tuition which gives the federal govern
ment charge of post roads probably
will permit the government not only to
build Interstate highways and trunk
lines, but to grant federal aid to farm
roads. if this course should seem wise.
Undoubtedly much could be achieved
by cooperation between the national
who have become Jealous in support of
this idea are making impossible de"
mands The cry of "federal aid for
farm roads is sonorous slogan, but
such aid on a scale large enough to
take care of million or more miles
OF farm roads is obviously out Of the
question and if the farmers await re
suits Of this kind most of them will
''die in the mud - The National High
ways association is advocating sys-
tenn of $4,000 or 100000 miles Of fed
eral highways, and if it succeeds in
its purpose it will have brought about
great benefit to the farmer.
Among the resolutions adopted by
the American Road congress of Detroit
was one requesting the United States
congress to authorize the president "to
appoint a commission from civil life,
with sufficient appropriation to make
thorough and exhaustive report on
and to recommend system Of federal
aid" 1t is realized by the highway
commissioners, engineers, legislators
and advocates of good roads generally
that it would be uuyvise for the gov
ernment to commit itself to any plan
on q large scale without careful study
by national commission. Any effect
i've plan will involve the expenditure
Of millions. The vast national irriga
ton projects, such as the Sault Saint
Marie canal, the river and harhor i'm
provemeut and the Panama canal
were first investigated by expert com
missions, and those who favor the ap
pointment of national commission to
study the question of good roads de-
clare that many of the aspects of the
subject are so technical that it can
not properly be considered at first by
congressional committee.
Another resolution adopted by the
American Road congress outlines in a
general way the plan favored by that
body. This states ''that the Ameri-
can Road congress favors tho estab-
lishment Of national road system,
and favors the construction by the
states, counties and towns Of the lat
eral and connecting market high
ways That is the plan which the
National Highways association sup
ports and which, in all probability,
will be the one most strongly urged
upon any federal commission that is
selected. The advocates of this plan
argue that the states cannot afford to
delay and will not delay improving the
inter county roads that connect with
them: that the counties cannot afford
not to improve the inter-town roads
that connect with the state systems,
and that the towns cannot afford not
to improve tho local and market roads
that connect with the county and state
systems.