The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-06-24
PLAN is TO SECURE BUILDING OF
HIGHWAYS FROM ONE STATE
TO ANOTHER.
"PoRK BARREL BILL DENIED
Members Declare That Improvement
Would Affect Farming Country
Just as Much as It viii Cities
Railroads Now Favor Idea.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


committee with large membership,
all kinds of plans are being suggested
by which to improve the highways Oh
the country. There are evidences al
ready that good roads to a consider
able extent are to be what General
Hancock called the tariff, "A local Is
sue
Members say that of course it Is
to be the main plan of the good roads
propaganda to secure the building OF
highways from state to state, contlnu-
GUS roadways which can be used In
! interstate commerce and thereby
"clinch their constitutionality. Some
senators and representatives say that
! the intimation that good roads ap-
| preparation bill will be pork barrel
| bill as the public buildings bill for
years has been called, is mistake.
They add that good roads will AFFECT
farming country and small outlying
| communities just as much as they will
the cities and country adjacent to the
city, and that therefore the general
distribution of the favors" will pre-
vent great opposition from any quar-
ter to good road building, provided 1t
does not cost so much as to make
| the benefits of less value than the
money expended
Movement Becomes Popular.
The good roads movement in con-
gress has taken on more rapid gait
recently than 1t ever strobe at before.
| cfr
feeling among the members of both
houses that good roads legislation was
unconstitutional unless it could be
clearly proved that the benefits were
to be nationwide and to be of large
service to interstate commerce. Some
years ago a southern senator intro
duced bill appropriating 100000 for
a start at good roads construction.
He maintained that if the highways
constructed ran from one state to
| another, and were used for purposes
of trade between states, all question
Of the constitutionality of the meas
ure would be answered.
This argument was combated by
the strict constructionists, who de-
clared that it was only another way
of beating the devil around the
stump
1t is said that next to the biological
survey the Office of good roads be
came the most popular bureau of the
agricultural department. Letters by
the thousands were written from al
over the United States to senators
and representatives asking that the
appropriation for the Office of goo6
roads be increased in order that the
work of the specialists could be ex
tended. Congress did vote more
money - for the roads bureau anC
finally, under the spur of the letters
from the people. members who hao
doubted the constitutionality of gen
eral roads building by the government
began to study the question, and seem
ingly a good many OF them have be
come converted.
Railways Are Won Over.
The railroads recently have beer
taking an interest in the good road,
proposition. 1t might naturally be ex
pected that the railroads would fee
no particular interest in good roads
because if they were to be used TO
interstate commerce purposes,
would seem that they would TAX,
away business from the rail carriers
The railroad men, however seem t,
have come to the conclusion that i
good roads are built the agriculturis
will get lot of his products to tn
railroad station for shipment which
otherwise he could not get there o
would not like to try to deliver be
cause of the bad road difficulties il
the way.
4 Members say it must not be takel
, for granted that large appropriation
Immediately will be forthcoming TO
good roads projects The senate i
still largely to be won over ito tn
cause. and moreover an immens
. amount of study will be necessar
before a definite plan for beginnin
the work can be developed. 1t i
probable that when the first grea
2 project is under way there will. b
public hearings, and an attempt Wi
t be made to get the views on the sui
? Ject from the country dwellers pal
3 ticularly.
!. Patronage and Lobbying.
: The charges, if they can be cal
4 ed direct charges, which Senate
d Townsend of Michigan made agains
: President Wilson to the effect tina
8 the chief executive was Athe bis
e gest lobbyist of them all,p has brougf
3 to the minds of good many Washin,
ton correspondents, and officials to,
for that matter, the constant recu
ring charges OF like nature which hay
been made against presidents fc
g years. generally in the heat of debat
/ and under the stress of partisan fee
9 ing.
t Senator Townsend said before tn
a senate committee which was invest
0 eating the lobby matter that the i,
q fuence welded by President Wilso
4 and by the Democratic secret caucr
t upon the making of the tariff bill col
d stituted the nearest approach to III
Q due influence upon members of COZ
n gress."