The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-02

me soIution 81 the Road rrobIen'
81 TIA Unifed states ought TO be re-
TERED to the President and 70 the
rovernors 81 the several states COM
poeina our Onion. a. forming tbs
sreatest buiwsrk IN the defense % the
Hitherto the question has been aEi-
tnte6 ~ enthusiasts 81 Ill glasses. thS
farmer especially, who II anxious TO
get 70 market ana shipping point; the
merchant, who wishes to see more OF
him. and the editor. whose paper he
roads. This was before the star mall
and rural mail routes were estab-
ifghcd.
az 2. 500. 600 miles OF inferborouEh and
market town roads These roads led
up to the station stops on railroads
as faithfully "a compass points to the
pole, and connected station stop with
station stop along the length Of rail-
road track.
before proceeains snx fsrtfer lee
us give credit TO $4,000 miles of rail-
roads for
ta) Distributing the colonists.
fhD Supplying the commercial sap
along direct interchangeable, iines-
tc) Planting towns on an average
Of five ana one-haif miles apart.
Id Carrying the mail
All roads led to the station stops
on railroads, because tho farmer had
no other place TO drive to except back
to the "getting-off point on the rail-
road A.ff He drove right IN ana turned
around and he drove right back
again" to the shipping point.
His wagon track. turned aside to
allow another farmer colonist's wagon
10 pass. which naturally widened the
track into a road, and 80 ON for %
se0 600 miles,
About seventeen years ago the Gov
eminent decided to deliver the farm
or his mail and sent out men to des-
ignate the rural mail routes, which
would supply mail 10 the greatest
number Of farmers. Naturally those
farmers lived along the main travelled
country roads. In seventeen years Of
trial there are In use today 100000
miles Of rural and star mail routes.
All these denoting service IN The great
est nufhpef: 4. Thoroughly American
On February 10. 1914. the shackei.
ford post roads bill passed the House
OF Representatives 212 voting for and
forty-two against and was sent to the
Congress. II ought TO be amended al
the present session OF the Sixty fourth
Congress-. We print q synopsis Of this
bill for the information OF all.
Since the Introduction OF the Shack
clifford bill several questions Of Vita
importance are to be considered al
affecting national defense:
First--Ths governors play a large
part in. the a4ministr.ation OF this act
The governor 10 NOT only q civil gov.
ernor. but also q military commander
He IL commander. in-chfef Of the State
militia.
Yet Iii this bill, there II no pro.
vision II connect up the rural MAI
routes tesween stations on railroad
tlet the rap be q rod or q milel, "a
that. in fn& event or var. bridge
trestIe Or tunnel sbeirs DESTROYED
| troops could Jetrain and march. with
| .ul. equipment. past tho break to .
waiting train on the other side of ahii
| break.
No provisicn 10 made for INTERIOR
ough traffic and travel.
The governors have to send thu
militia to any point In the State ,.
!. rail. the military highway. The sam,
difficulties that would confront tn,
militia to reach their objective woul.
be encountered also BY Federal troops
We want the Sixty-fourth Congress
to amend the 8hackelford bill SO a
to provide for the building of sup
Elemental military highways follow
| Ing, In a general way, the direction
OF the railroads, the recognized mill
tary highway
We want the sixty-fourth Congress
to- IS.
i. crssts j Federsl road engineers
department.
:. substituts ia the shackelfort
post roads bin the words s.Federa
Road Engineers In the place Of tn,
Secretary OF Agriculture"
3. Limit this expense Of running tn
Federal road engineers department
TO m amount varying from tho one
tenth Of l per cent to ] per cent o
t26,0o0,O00.
1. THAT. rs. per. o4nt Of the Abalanc,
OF the yz5, 100000 b. Get aside 10 aii
In the construction Of cross state In
tsrstats and ocean-t0-0cean highway
BY connecting the rural mail routes
where they fail 70 connect. interiact
and overlap along the interborougf
road.
5. That lsgisiaturss Of ali states en-
act laws making similar provisions
~ In No. 4, and modelled after the
Federal law. 20 ~ To provide for this
rapid transit Of the state militia t.
any point within ths 6tate.
&. That the tendency Of all road
construction should be to reach Class
A. defined Ia the EhAckeiford bill. and
that state and county funds. together
with rural volunteer labor. be employ
cd to this end.
Z. That the Federal road engineer
be empowered to designate the con.
~ d n