The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-02-01


thouehts-shc thought in terms OF the
city hotcl--morc narr,w even than
the city Itself
So We are apt to think OF this road
question in the proportion as We are
confined in the wall OF a township,
or county. or state. We are proyin-
cial and need a larger horizon to our
vision. National thought cannot sue
cessfully build itself upon these foun-
dations in way that will be per
manent-so that it seems necessary
to the Development of great system
of roads to first learn to think as an
American-in whose minds eye is the
industrial greatness of the east, the
agricultural wealth of the middle
west-and the gorgeous beauties Of
the Pacific slope al threaded to-
gether by a golden strand of nation
al state and county roads, linking the
energies Of nation into perfect
plan of inter-communicatiOn
This thinking on a larger plane
Will lead you to see that in the so
luton OF this problem it is necessary
to establish head-Or central unit,
possessing a higher degree of efficien-
cy and greater command of those
factors that make success possible.
The history of road building in the
past has taught us that as a con
dition precedent to the construction
of an improved system of highways
for any country, the subject must be
government The Roman empire was
but a system of city states, connected
by improved highways, but these high
ways were not constructed until the
work was undertaken by the Roman
government under control of engin-
GERS of ability and backed by imperial
gold
] Nv IlSlplN VI lllt' Il'lltI IbduN 10
much the same They have the ma
tional, departmental and communal
roads, built and maintained in sys-
TEN Of divided powers and responsi-
bilities. As long as England left it's
highways construction to local au-
thorities its roads were notoriously
bad, and it was only when the ma
tional government took hold of the
subject that the highways of England
became worthy of the name
In America We are confronted by
many conditions different from those
in European countries, which condi-
tions arise from the difference in the
political system in this country. and
the division of powers between the
state and the national government,
and also from the enormous amount
of territory compared to the amount
of population and the resulting eX-
cessive mileage of roads to be i'm
proved But all of these conditions
cannot change the principles upon
which an intelligent and equitable
system of road Improvement must be
based. They only require some modi-
ication in the application of these
principles
In our system of government there
is clear line Of division between
the power of the state and of the
national government but the same
subject matter may at different times
or under changing conditions, be with
III the jurisdiction and proper sphere
of action of both governments For
iustanc" when a citizen Of the state
of Texas remains within the iuris-
dictiOn Of the state and subject 10
the control only of state agencies.
.ut when he passes the border line
OF his state, or engages I'M inter
state commerce. or comes in touch
with any of the subjects which are
under the control Of the federal GOV
Crumont his action is then controll-
ed 10y a federal legislation. and he is
the subject OF national control and