The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-11-22
BY SIDNEY SUGGS,
Highway Commissioner of Oklahoma

| Highway Commissioner of Oklahoma
The Fourth American Road Con-
gress, held at Atlanta, Ga, Nov. g.
IA, was one of the most enthusiastic
ever held. Business methods of
building and maintaining our coun-
try roads, and how this could be done,
was the principal subject discussed
Few theories were INDUCED in. but
members and delegates told what was
actually being done in their states.
1t was clearly brought out that old
methods of building and maintaining
roads are a dismal failure. and that
new methods had been adopted and
results were proving more satsfac-
tory
The building and maintaining of
roads is no longer fad, but a real
business proposition. 1t was the pre-
vailing opinion of most delegates
and visitors to this congress that the
congress of the United States will
soon become actively engaged in the
great work of passing some national
relief road bill. 1t was the opinion
of many of the members of the con-
gress that in place of federal aid
as suggested by some of the bills
introduced in congress, that a system
of national highways, to be directed
by nation highway department,
would be the simplest and most eff
feCtiye.
This does not mean tina. the gov
ernment will undertake, al present,
the building of a great rational sys-
TEN of highways, but will undertake
to build one or two per cent Cf The
two million miles of roads which
need improving. Those faVoring
this system contended that t was
as much the governments business
to build, own and maintain her land
highways, as it is her water high
ways, and by doing so, would set
an example for the states ani coun-
ties to follow.
The state. county and ROAD dis
tricts through which the national
highway is built would be forever
relieved of the burden of taxes tc
keep it up, and at the same time
would furnish employment for the
idle millions, enabling them to earn
sufficient money to buy and pay for
a home along these highways, thou
sands would take advantage Of THIS,
and would become patriotic, homo
loving, home owning citizens.
These roads would not be a liza
blity, but would be one of the ma
tion's most valuable assets Many
of the states which have established
a department of highways have done
away with the obsolete "overseer
system" or more aptly, some say,
the oyerseer lack of system" In
many states they have proven that
the new bond tax is only a small
fraction of the old mud tax. The
question is: Shall we continue toI
pay this enormous old mud tax, or
let the state, with her convicts and
with her state levies and other taxes,
build. own and maintain her sy5."n
of roads which will prove, as III
other states, great dividend pay
ing institution" An interest on in
vestment that will at once relieve
counties and road districts, through
which these state roads pass off the
burden of taxes for these roads Tor
all time to come. Then each CT our
commissioners will have road dis
trict and each one will appoint an
efficient road builder, and all taree
road commissioners will improve the
roads after competent county en-
gineer. authorized by the sta.a de-
partment of highways, has made
plans, specifications, and has es-i-
mated the actual cost of the same.
Engineering, the drainage ditchcs,
the removal of stumps, the moving
of every yard of dirt, the cos, of
explosives, blasting and moving ev-
cry yard of rock, the actual size anG
cost of all bridges and culver's,
will all be itemized and the cost
of each item given in plain figures,