The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-20


! government participation in the high
/ ways progress of the country accu-
1 mulateS force, the various States, one
after another, are adopting legislation
providing for the establishment of
State highway departments. Accord
ing to information received by the A.
A, A. National Good Roads Board,
which keeps in touch with the State
automobile bodies and aids materially
la their work, there will be, as a re-
suit of recent legislative action, road
/ departments in Maine, Montana, Mis-
souri,, Colorado, Idaho, Arkansas and
( Texas. This makes plainly apparent
/ that the move for Federal action has
not caused any laying down" on the
part of the States. which have their
proper part to perform in the general
I roads development.
OF the addresses given at the Sc
+ Fede raj Aid convention in Washington
called by the national good roads
board. none contained a more compre-
hensive summing up OF the situation
than the remarks OF Representative
William F. Borland. Of Missouri, who,
among other things, said:
Il believe that the good road ques-
ton is the biggest question, without
exception. now facing the American
people. In congress, we are trying
earnestly and sincerely to deal with
I this problem Of the'extenr ana Charac-
ter Of federal control and federal aid
20 Eood rpaos, heie az oiiie 'ieS
confronting rs.
some % us pelIeFS u. a ooil Us
where; roads that give us the benefit
Of the scientific progress of engineer
ing skill that has been developed in
connection with road building. We
~ - . -, - 1900 ,y,a-,,,
a Tr+.o~ So - - 49, 80, rIs
,c,4s-,@ ,,3g,t,,r -, 49,, - r,le,,
,.afrna,,rrnr lbs4a|ter raads tbat co
sornrvsbere rods mos naaan sor1e-
ne h, tho de,-sI5r,Y,,,,,, 80 ~ sa''r
~ - '''7
II want IA sax. ~ ,.'o,, frsrlx1y Thar
the easiest rrnnesaittcn ~ ~ ,bro,,evb
ans legislative bod}. ts MT a r,rf,T'o-
sifion that really r7aana 6ottar,,ar,f.
h7lr a pronosition mar aistrit,,teq ia
little advantages ~ wideIv as nos
@fhIe If We ro1ld taI-a a littia I'D.
eraf money. or a good deal N federal
money. or as much federal money
tas we could Law our hands on. what
ever the amount might he. ana spread
il ont over every road district IN the
United states and put il in the hands
of the existing road overseers for
+ the existing system Of roads. and not
ask anything in return. we could get
the greatest applause and the most
tremendous unanimity Of opinion back
Of il that any legislative proposition
could possibly get There is no doubt
about that
BUT here is the idea that must oc-
cur 70 every thinking man. We do
not have 10 improve the 2,150.0G0
miles Of highways in the United
states. That need not stagger any
mans imagination. Experience has
shown, at the very threshold OF this
subject that 80 per cent Of ali the
Iraiilc on roads goes over less than
ten ier cent OF the roads. II We had
q system al good ROADS leading fairly
3Nto every section Of the country.
#lthln tho reasonable reach eff the ma
laF5}y ~ the citizens, and producers
and taxpayers If the country that
system "@ula te vast advantage over
'hs present system on issoiated local
s".tts'l 81 Ht5 lNa4s-
S3''A 'A Stit-s'AtFinee ana Co-opera-
let t1EeSsAfdE win any stub
a'i sttt<A " bFidr OF opihion--but II
t"fi go t"AetileF on the idea that
= .t+'"t r. SFt "raIha SEINE pro-
.'.S's .@t4 anu accomplish something