Evening journal., 1913-09-30
TUESDAY SEPT. 80. 1918.
Boulevard AND STATE HIGHWAY.


Is useless Tor the foes Of the DUPONT Boulevard
10 make the contention at this late day that II It
had not been for General duPonts proposal that he
be allowed to build that boulevard the State would
have appropria ed the money and built highway OF
its own from the Pennsylvania line the north to
the Maryland line the sosth.
While it is true that in the legislative session in
1909 there was what purported to be a MOI for
the State issue s75O.OOO Of bonds TO obtain money
begin tho construction Of a state highway. there
is no assurance that bill would have passed and
there Is doubt that IL would have been consttu
tiona had Il heen passed In fact that doubt
so great that the Legislature in 1911 adopted con-
stitutonal amendmentto permit the state 10 engage
in road building and that amendment was ratified by
the Legislature last Spring
II. is asserted by the foes of the DUPONT Boule-
ward there existed. within and without the Legisla-
ture. such overwhelming sentiment in favor Of such
State-constructed highway why Is Il not manifest on
the statute books? Simply because public sentiment
has favored. and still fayors. construction of the
duPon, Boulevard, and opposes the expenditure Of
a large amount Of public money for something that
may be had for nothing from private and public
spirited source
Several State highway bills we're proposed at the
last session OF the Legislature They all died in COM
mittee The Legislature did not dare saddle such an
expense upon the people with General uPonts mag
nihcent offer impending and. held up by legislative
and legal interference. Those bills we're permitted
to die in commtte Notwithstanding It was known full
we'll TO those on the inside OF legislative affairs
that the additional legislation asked for by General
DUPONT was not TO be granted and that IL might re-
quire three dispose Of the litigation in the
courts bearing upon the boulevard Republican and
Democratic members OF the legislature knew the
public heartily in favor Of good roads and tired
Of the stupidity and extravaganza that had featured
the administration and maintenance Of poor ones But
beneath it all they knew that the public looked upon
the holdup Of General duPonts boulevard plan as a
piece = political folly especially after he had made
modhcatons unprecedented in public spirit and gen
orosy. They also knew that it would be exceed
mgS impoitc TO follow the hold-up Of General dn-
Points boulevard by passing legislation which un-
ma'eN would entail an expense Of si,O0OD0O or
s2.ooo'o1o upon the public
WHY spend public funds for something General
dupont offers TO give for nothing particularly when
that something to be paid for with public funds would
be infinitely inferior to the gift proposed?" was the
question asked by thousands OF Deawareans and no
sensible and acceptable was forthcoming from
the foes Of the DUPONT boulevard
The Legislature left II for New Castle and Kent
counties to do good road building the former along
compehensiye lines but with limited means and tho
latter under the well-meant but indefinite and nm
satisfactory Walls Good Roads law Practically moth
ins done for Sussex.
The truth is that General DUPONT aroused the in
torest in s.atelong highway and even II his boue-
vard project be abandoned ultimately and State
highway built 10 take its place he will he entitled IN
the cred Of having aroused that public interest in
good roads which brought that State highway into
being.