Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-03-23

note that your 0plnl0na lM tH0
matter coincide exactly with those
of the officers and directors of
this association. We feel, and
always have felt, that such alter
atoms as are advocated in Ohio
were not to the best interests of
this association, nor did they tend
to the rapid improvement of the
Lincoln highway.
II Inasmuch as you have displayed
SO much interest in this partic-
ular situation I take pleasure in
enclosing herewith three letters
which l believe will outline to you
exactly the stand which Mr.. Joy
and the directors of this associa-
ton take on matters of this kind.
Ono is a petition from a mass
meeting held at Kenton, o., out
lining the reasons why they wish
a change of route, and requesting
that consideration be given to the
points made in their brief. An
other is copy of my reply out
lining the standpoint of the assoc
citation, and the third is copy
of Mr.. joys comments on my let
ter. l believe that in addition
to this material you have re-
ceived previous to this, a copy of
the letter received by Mr.. Joy
from President Wilson in June,
1914, and Mr.. joys reply to the
president, in which he outlined
the policy of the association rel
ative to route changes.
In view of the decided stand
(which the association has always
taken in this matter it is hard for
3 me to understand the feeling OF
Uncertainty which you say exists
I'll in the state of Iowa relative to
the permanency of the route
3 there. No route changes of any
8 magnitude have been made by this
8 association other than the elm
{ ination of the Denver loop, and
this establishes no precedent Tor
lroute changes, as they can read
lily appreciate. In fact, this par
8 ticular elimination of a divergent
road merely goes to show the as
sociation's endeavor to keep the
8 route on one through, straight
8 line, and to prohibit in every way
=Ipossible any diversion of atten-
ton or interest to side routes.
The handicap of which you
Ispeak as having labored under in
Iowa has no basis, and hope that
Iby proper publicity of the en-
Iclosed letter, you will be able to
settle the questions once for all
q in your state. Just why the peo-
|ple in the cities and towns on the
Lincoln highway in Iowa should
Ihold back until they are assured
that the association will ''stand
pat" as you put it, on the pro-
Iclaimed route, when there never
8 has been the slightest action on
8 the part of the association to lead
: any one to believe tina. any
lchangc would ever be contem-
plated, is not clear to me. You
. may be sure that no considera-
tions of any kind other than the
laid out originally in the procla-
tmation dater September a, 1913,
have any influence whatever upon
s the officers and directors of this
8 association. Politics or any Pc
g |cuniary consideration do not en-
: ter into the situation in any way
J, whatever.
h You may be sure that both my
self and Mr.. Joy invite from you
s the freest and fullest expression
s of your views at all times, and
/. upon any question which may
arise, regardless as to whether it
G. lis in the state of Iowa or else
where. We do indeed wish you to
{ Iconsider yourself actively a vice
D president of this association, and
: will appreciate hearing your COM
ments as outlined in yours Of
March 40.
Il AS you say, the people are
awakening to the value of the
2 Lincoln highway. In the past it
i has been question of the asso-
citation endeavoring in every way
i to secure the support of the cities
land the communities through
4 which it runs. Now that the
route is established and has a
$ definite and real value of course
D all those communities which in
the past have held back are nur-
D Trying TO get on the band wagon.
2 The Lincoln highway now offers
. something to the communities
3 through which it runs, and is re-
turning and will continue to re-
! turn 100 fold whatever the COM
!, munities on the route have in
!, vested in it.
q do not believe that any pro-
Q Iportion of the general public
q question in the least the judg-
/ ment of the officers and directors
Y of this association in paying out
q the present route, and any agita-
ltion for rO1ta changes or any ar