El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-16

FEDERAL aid for the Southern Ma
X tionaI Highway, one of the trans
4 continental routes in which FL
Paso is interested, is expected at the
present session of congress, according
to DR.. s. NJ Johnson, of Roswell. n. NJ
In letter to The herald DR.. Johnson
says:
THE road from MescaIero to Ruidoso
is now being surveyed and the federal
government is to be asked to apprO-
pirate $4,000 to build it.
The American Automobile associa-
ton considers the far southwest a pc
culiarly attractive region to tourists.
The January issue has an indian Pueblo
as frOntispiece and an article on New
Mexico by D. p. Lane of Santa Fe. The
February Cor March, issue will con-
tain an article by myself on the Ros-
well and White mountain region, and
Ruidoso scene as frontispiece.
Even though winter reigns in the
east, an average of eight persons day
now inquire at the A. a. A. headquar-
ters in Washington or New York City
for touring direction 20 the Pacific
coast
THE highway from Alamogordo to
Las Cruces, Deming and LOrdsburg is
sure to be built. Ell Paso will attract
some going westward after reaching
Las Cruces. But it will be seen that
FL PasO had been wiser had it needed
the earnest plea to buIId the direct road
from AlamOgOrdo. However, that is
ancient history. The Southern National
highway will be completed a hard sur
faced road from Washington, D. c., to
Durham, n c., by April Is; it will be
finished to Knoxville, Tenn. by August
!. It is now open by making detOurs
all the way 10 Knoxville. From Knox
vile to Dallas there are many links
70 be improved and it will not be pos
sible to complete this before next Sep
TENDER, though cars go through now.
From Dallas to Roswell the way is
open. From Roswell to Ell Paso the
going is ordinarily good, but much
must be done on a considerable mileage
before it is an every day in the year
route"
Working for Road.
The Charlottesville Daily Observer,
commenting upon the work, says.
North Carolina is receiving deserved
cOmmendatiOn for taking the lead in
movement which may solve two
problems Of the utmost National i'm
portance, road betterment and prOvid-
ing for the unemployed.
The Baltimore platform pledged the
administration to federal cooperation
in the Improvement of post roads This
position received presidential endorse
ment. The Democratic party issued
its handbook last fall after the Euro
pean war had begun. stating unequivo-
cally that a bill would be passed at the
winter sesslon-carrylng SO, 600, GOO
appropriation for roads.
During the month of November press
notices appeared fOrecasting the things
which president Wilson would urge
upon congress, but among the sched-
uled items the road item was not in
evidence. This omission was unsatiS-
factory, especially to the south and
southwest.
It was considered proper for con-
gress to give first consideration to
trust legislation and currency: but
when 1t came to apprOpriating some
S35,O0O.O00 p build n government rail-
way in far of, frozen Alaska, inhabited
by $1,000 people and leaving the folk
at home to founder in the mud, the
proposal aroused the country to action.
Federal Aid Demanded.
It was evident at the Atlanta Good
Roads congress. attended by several
thousand delegates. that there was an
Overwhelming demand for the federal
government to get busy on the road
proposition, and in particular in the
building of needed roads across all
federalized areas where it was shown
that the federal governments failure
to act resulted in road conditions that
were an obstacle to the progress of
civilization. This sentiment found
expression mainly through DR.. S. NJ.
Johnson from Roswell, n. NJ.
After the convention Dr.. Johnson
went to Charlotte. where he resided
for several years before going to New
Mexico, and where he was well known.
Conferences were held with leading
men of the state, among them senators