The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-04-27
BENEFIT OF GOOD
ROADS EXPLAINED
Highway Commission Says Good
Roads are Needed-H. B. HAYES
Addresses Small Audience.

Nearly every county in Southeast
Missouri was represented yesterday
evening at the good roads meeting,
held at the Courthouse, for the pur-
pose of presenting the advantages of
good roads to the people. The meet
ing was attended by three of the men,
Of the newly-created State Highway
Commission, and Harry B. Halves of
st. Louis, who fathered the bill in the
Legislature, creating the good roads
commission.
Halves was the principal speaker. In
. lengthy address, he explained how
necessary good roads are, not only
for traffic, but for the increase of the
valuation of the farm lands as well.
He concluded his speech by urging
everybody to join the new move to
create good roads and carry on the
flight with the Courage our ancestors
showed in 1776, with the spirit of
1912, and the determination during the
years of 1861 and 1865" His remarks
were applauded.
Mr.. Halves opened his speech with
the remark that he was looked upon
as the politician" during his last visit
in the Cape, but this time he had
come as "highwayman," not to rob
anybody, but to sponsor a modern
movement that had proven to be an
absolute necessity. He then went into
details as to the costs of railroads and
the appropriation the State and the
Federal Government had made for
good roads in each county. The sum
of $S5,OO0,000, he said, had been ap-
propriated by the United States Gov
eminent, and Missouri will get $780,
600 as its share, the amount being
divided among the counties.
He said in part: 81 will not, at this
time, enter into lengthy discussion
Of the bill. The measure will be ex-
planned and discussed at the meeting
this afternoon. Missouri will receive
from the Federal Government $780,
900 to build good roads and each
county will be given sufficient funds
to build good roads. The State plans
to build $500 miles of good roads. The
money will not be all laid out to
build one peacock highway across the
State but each county will be given
sufficient money to match the money
it raises to build good roads-dollar
for dollar-and the result will be a
system of good roads in all parts of
Missouri.
Hannibal and Marion County has
long been center for road building, -
he said. "You have found that private
enterprise will not build roads. High
ways must be built by communities.
eff all this enthusiasm is a criterion
of the spirit of the people in road
building, then we will find the same
condition back of highway improve
ment as now prevails in the United
States, with one nation, one flag and
one president. We are of che pur-
pose-to preserve the honor of the ma
ton from the assault of foreign DOW
ers. The nation which can move its
troops and foodstuffs the fastest is
the nation that is going to win in the
long run in war, and good roads
are as essential as engines of war;"
The new Highway Commission
which was created by Hawes' bill will
supervise the construction of all roads
OF the State. Before the work en- a
new road can be started, the plans viii.
have to be approved by both the en-
gineer of this commission and the
Engineering Department of the Gov!
eminent. Every county that built a
road approved by the State Highway
Commission would receive a dollar
from the State for every dollar the
county spent on this road. If the con-
structioin of the road would be esti-
mated at 100000, the county wound
receive one-half of the sum, from the
State treasury. II,
The population of 4issoun, Mr..
Halves said, was starfing still, while
the surrounding Stats were gradually
increasing. The decrease was at
tributed by the speaker to the bad
roads of the State. Good roads save
time and money and are of such i'm
mense importance to the farmer in
transporting his products from the
farm to the market that every farmer
should be heartily in favor of the
movement for good roads.
Speeches were made by George E.
Mc1ninch, vice president of the State
Highway Commission; A. Campbell
McKibben, secretary of the body, and
Alexander A. Graham, the engineer of
the commission. All pointed out the