Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-02-26

National Highways Association Is.
sues Map of Proposed Govern
ment Roads.
WOULD BUILD $4,000
MILES OF HIGHWAYS
Proposition to Make Network of
Roads Throughout Nation Under
Government Supervision Has
Much Support.

ways is question which is slowly
but surely forcing itself upon the
national legislature. Many senators
and representatives now believe that
the building of system of national
highways is of more economic i'm
portance than any other public work
more vital than the question of a
large navy, more useful than any riv-
er and harbor improvement, more
necessary than the Panama Canal.
For highways are built and owned
by the people and are free to all the
people. A few years ago road bills
had short shrift in congress-at pres
ent there are nearly hundred bills
before congress dealing with road
building in one form or another.
Although the good roads idea
has been gathering force and head
way for many years, its advocates are
still pulling in many directions. Some
road associations want state high
ways with national aid. Others want
state highways without national aid.
Still others want good roads paid for
by the counties through which they
pass, without any aid. One, at least,
BELIEVES firmly that the question is
not only one for states, counties, Cit
les and towns, but for the nation.
The National Highways association
believes that the beginning of COM
prehensiye good road system for the
nation must be made by the federal
government.
1t is universal experience that one
mile of good road breeds another
mile. Put a statewide, good road
down anywhere. in this country, and
in ten years there will be dozens of
good roads reaching it from all parts
of the state. Put down a system of
national highways, built and main
tanned by the national government,
and the various state legislatures and
county officials would soon see
the advantages of connecting all
parts of the state with those nation.
al roads.
There are two million miles of
roads in the United States. Improve
fifty thousand miles into good roads
and keep them good roads by proper
maintenance, and fifty thousand
miles more would almost grow over
night, and then another fifty thous-
and another and another, until our
great country, with its huge territory
would be crossed and recrossed with
good roads as France is today.
France has national highways.
These are immense trunk line roads,
great arteries of commerce, and from
these the smaller roads are built by
the province of France, just as the
states and counties of our country
will build feeders and connections to
a national system of highways.
If France-about the size of Texas
needs national highways, how
much more do we, with our huge ter.
ritory, require them?
Many idealists and dreamers have
proposed national road systems for
lis country. Usually the system has
been worked out with map, a ruler
a pencil and sublime faith. Mount
aims, lakes, rivers and forests form
no distractions to such visionary
road systems. The national high
ways system is the product of no
such dream. The highways indicat-
ed are either the best present roads
from point to point, or what are, in
the Judgment of trained and ex-
perienced corps OF road engineers,
the best possible and practicable
roads from point to point.
The system as outlined in the map
issued by the commission is only a
beginning-a suggestion. But if it
appears as beautiful dream, it is at
least practicable, engineers dream,
and dream which-like that of de
Lesseps and the canals bound to
come true some time. The National
highways association believes that
the time when the dream begins to
come true is close at hand. 1t is a
dream which vitality affects every
man, woman and child in the country
"a dream which, when it does come
true in its entirety, will be found of
more Importance to our progress as a
nation, to our wealth, to our social
and political life and to our other
dream of absolute independence, than
any one movement we, as nation,
have ever made.