The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-13
WASTE. OF ENERGY.
fcont,pued From page o2e.l

~S>AA 50
Of a half days journey through Shaw
nee. Pottawatomie. Wahannsee, Riley
and Clay counties. With President L
F. Davidson. Governor Hodges 1s max
ing a tour Of the Red Lane ana In his
trip will make speeches in number OF
towns along the trail.
Good road speeches are also beinG
made on tho trip by Jasper =. Kincaad
and w. 8. Gearhart. state highway en-
gineer. The trip over. the Red Line
will be concluded Saturday evening
when the party arrives in Beloit. At
Beleit. Governor Hodges will speak Sat-
urday night at q banquet Of Mitchell
county Democrats. Sunday morning
he viii be taken IN an autOmobfle to
Nortan for the dedication OF the new
state Tuberculosis septtarium. ~
Hodge, Speech.
Speaking of the necessity for good
road building In Kansas. Governor
Hodges said in part:
The two greatest activities for con-
tinued advancing civilization and an in
creased states prosperity. are the dis
trict school teachers and permanent
good roads. There Is nothing that 10 OF
greater moment to Increased urban ac-
tiyity. moral advancement, and econom-
ical agricultural gain than permanent
highways.
farm gate and this first fixed charge.
or highway toll. is 10 cents or 30 cents
q ton q mile-depending upon whether
you are hauling your tonnage over q
high grade permanent highway, or oyer
just an ordinary Kansas road.
The farmer who markets thousand
bushels of wheat in Kansas. pays an
unnecessary Cargo Of $4,000 for wasted
energy. A Tar greater commercial loss
is from the fact that he must market
his grain when the roads ara good. ir-
respective OF market conditions or
prices. whereas to the exact contrary,
with seasonable roads the year Ground.
his crops would naturally find the mar
tractive. There 10 but one way to
obviate this unnecessary expense-build
permanent roads.
I'VE spend about hve million dol
lars a year on roads and bridges. At
least 80 per cent Of this vast sum is
wasted. This Is 4 monumental ex-
travagance that but few states could
distinct, united constructive road pol
Icy. Our road work has been Of the
haphazard sort.
I'VE have q penal board. an educa-
tional board, and board OF control.
whose sole efforts arc directed toward
maintaining the state institutions I'M
der their charge a. business depart
ment OF the state. Yet we have never
attempted building or maintaining
our roads as a business department OF
the state, even lough we waste about
as much money usually on roads and
functions of the state combined.
M Conserve Road Funds.
Road funds are just AZ sacred as
school funds and should be SO con-
served, and the time is rapidly ap-
proaching-in fact 10 here now
when the monies spent on roads Will
be Just as zealously guarded and a.
much will be demanded in return for
their expenditure, as II now rightfully
trust-the school funds Of our state.
"What we must have II educated
road builders, and then more road
builders to be educated. I do not
mean that all road builders are in
competent. bur our road building sys.
plan, and without some definite fixed
purpose, without Standardization.
without a know how system, no per-
manent roads can OF will be built. We
power, q direct RESPONSE
bility upon some one and accounts
bility by some commission or some
person in authority. The lasting ef-
forts of individuals are naught; they
are neither equipped nor prepared.
y
by itself. The road
question IL q farm question and pri-i
marily must be worked out by the
farmer. but it is gigantic task. a
problem of magnitude that has be-
come of state and national concern"
Notes OF the Trip.
The first days trip made certain a de-
mand for some new road legislation for
the Strengthening Of the Kansas high
ways and lessening Of the risk of
human life at railway crossings. Be
tween st. Marys and Wamego, four alb
solutely unnecessary railway crossings
are taken on the highway. w. s. Gear
heart, state highway engineer. declared
that the 1915 legislature would be asked
to take action to straighten the roads
and to reduce the number OF railway
crossings. There are too many crooks
and turns in the Kansas roads," said
Gearheart, land the condition both as
to straight roads and fewer railway
crossings must be remedied before fed
eral aid for public highway building
can be expected in Kansas
You would hardly believe it, but old
residents of Rossville and st. Narys de-
clared that the personal visit Of Gov
ernor Hodges was the first the towns
had ever received from a Kansas gov
ernor during his tenure Of Office. A
good many western Kansas towns have
never been visited by a governor, but
when two next door neiehbor towns
to Topeka testified that they had never
before entertained q governor, every
member of the party admitted they had
gathered some brand new information.
Probably 700 people were waiting
for the party when the omcial car
arrived in Riley. That wasn't all, the
Riley brass band was in q band stand
In the center Of the main street of tina
town and was playing John Phillip
Sousa music. The fact that the wheat
was ready to cut and the further fact
that the corn needed the pillow, didn't
tend to interfere with the Riley meet
ing in the least Governor Hodges