The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1916-03-01

Material because of the vas, sums To-
be expended. Economic. because Of
the nationwide reduction IN cost uf
distribution which will be attained.
Social. because Of the opportunity and
ENCOURAGEMENT to the country folk
to come in contact with their fellow
men. women. and childron-cspeciallS
the last two. They can get this by no
other means. can any one looking AT
the illustrations believe otherwise
Such a great question should not be
lightly decided. No large a%ppropria-
tion should be made without deep
study and forcthought without
knowing the way We should go and
where We should land.
People in general think they know
the difference between a good road
and a bad road They want an need
good roads. They think hard road
are good and soft roads bad. This.
however. Is not the national proc
lem We do not want 10 know what
kind OF roads to build. nor when, nor
where. what We do Wan TO know Is
whether or not the nation should
help In road building. II answered
a~iiirmauvcly, then. whether We shall
rave legislation favorable TO federal
aid or national highways or both
And finally, when. n how. Wise
aItion cannot come without wise
study on the part of g representative
ana properly constituted commission
The Nast1css OF the undertaking. its
cost. It's benefits or otherwise, far OUT
strip auN other public work hereto
fore undertaken, We should move
slowl, and after due dsliberation. The
more haste just now the less speed
there will be in our road building
without discussing the merits or
domcrits of the various A!lls before
congress. ana their many different
provisions. Il car lee said that they
all have the fundamental fault of
forthwith committing thn nation. al
great cost. either to building a system
~ national Highways OF to giving tcd-
cral aid in the building of state roads.
No such legislation should hc C"nsid-
cred until sufficient information IL
secured - enable Conyress to act in
~teliisontly. and with . run knowledge
of The whole subject.
II Ia ~beconunr generally recogniz-
ed that road building ana improves
mont will he of greater benefit to tho
people NJ large han almost other
NATIONAL development. II Is of vastly
greater Importance than the Panama
canal can ever be Roads are free TO
the public. Their future development
IL ny important to the people as rail-
roads. tclegraphs, telephones. or the
postal service. They will he paid for
l"s ,lA. ...aI. srI.. ulIl Ia. .un.1
and used. not by the few, but by all
Vast sums aic To hc spent upon them,
ana their wise planning and building
are Of the utn,ost. Importance.
substantially no great government
work has been undertaken. or large
appropriation made therefor. Y 'thout
a careful preliminary investigation
and report to congress. thus enabling
n to act wisely and with discretion.
why should the building OF u system
or national hways-the ercatest
and most important Of all-bc under
taken with little or NO knowledge be-
fore coneress Of the subject or lts
needs? The magnitude Of the project
In such M many of It's aspects are
50 technical, that II ann properly
he considered in the first instance by
n congressional committee and tn
refer " to one of the regularly con-
stituted executive departments would
unduly burden sue department and
interfere with routine work. even az
Stunning IL VAS qualified The wiscst
course would seem Ia he the creation
~ a special national highways com
mission TO investigate the entire sub
ject n report to congress at the
earliest practicable date. such has
been the course pursued with all great
public works. including the Panamn
canal. W. would have considered II
absurd for q non~-technical committee
! Of congressman TO sit In Washington