Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-26
TENER TAKES UP
NEW ROAD WORK
Former Governor Subordi-
mates Baseball Interests
to Big Task

New York, Dec. 24-Since the an
nouncement by former Governor John
K. Tener, of Pennsylvania, a few days
ago that although reelected presi-
dent of the National League his con-
nectton with baseball would have to
be subordinated to new business in
terests with which he had become
identified, lively curiosity has been
shown by the governors baseball and
political associates as to his new ac-
tivities.
Governor Tener was found yester-
day at the offices of the Paramount
Highways Corporation, at so East
Forty-second street, this being the
company which has elected the for
mer governor to its presidency. Be
| tween his efforts to get acquainted
with his new surroundings, and his
attempts to locate some vans of fur
niture that were missing between
Philadelphia and New York. Governor
Tener talked about his work and his
plans.
After years in the national game
I am now devoting myself to ma
tional service in the building OF bet
| ter roads throughout the country"
said the former governor. 81 am
throwing myself completely into the
great business in which this company
is engaged. In order to do so 1 am
moving my home from Philadelphia
to New York. and L shall be thor
| oughly on the job here. While, of
course, Pennsylvania politics and the
great national game of baseball al
! ways will hold warm spots in my
heart, 1 now am going back to a line
of endeavor which always has in
terested me.
Good Roads
THE necessity for goad roads, of
| course, is no longer the subject of
argument. The big war and the new
complications it has brought to this
| country's transportation problems
make a national system of perfect
highways a necessity from a military
as well as from an industrial stand
point. For several years this coun-
try, through the states, counties and
townships as units, has been showing
the keenest desire to create an ade-
quate good roads system. In my own
state of Pennsylvania I was the
father of a comprehensive system of
statewide road improvement and
that great commonwealth is now
committed by legislative enactment
and appropriations to construct and
it's principal highways.
During my tenure of office I came
in close contact with the whole ques-
tion of roadbuilding. / studied the
various systems and methods and
saw where millions of dollars were
being blown away in dust all over
the country owing to the fact that
roads were being built in such way
that they could not stand the wear
II,
L saw. in one part of the country and
another, long-term bond issues being
saddled on communities for the con-
struction of costly roads that broke
down in three to five years. I found
that to be the history of roadbuilding
from one end of the United States to
the other.
Saw What Was Wrong
Although L could see then what
was wrong, L could not find prac-
tical remedy. Then. too, I saw the
general chaotic condition of the vast
field of road construction throughout
the United Statees, in which there is
an apparent lack OF consistent co-or-
dination between national, state,
county and city officials; an made
quate system and lack of financial
and technical responsibility in the
construction phase of this work; an
absence OF first-class executive meth
ods both in the expenditure of funds
end the management of construction;
a waste OF public moneys all too fire.
qGently through the channels of poor
Workmanship and unScienti1c meth
DDS of construction and, generally
speaking, through the installation of
the prevailing popular types of roads
now being and in the past installed
throughout the country.
Naturally, realizing as I did from
practical experience and personal OBJ
servation the vital Importance of this
question to the public of the United
States, j have kept constantly in
touch with it, and thus came in con-
tact, a few months ago, with a group
of substantial and practical men who
have applied themselves to an effec-
tice, scientific method of solving this
problem, and who have worked out
system of road and road-surface
construction that in my opinion and
in the judgment of the best qualified
experts, completely solves the ques-
tion of roadbuilding at low first cost
and eliminates the expense of main
tenance thereafter.
During all the years since civiliza-
tion began the question of good roads
seriously has engaged the public mind
and to-day the solution of the prob
lem is more important then ever be-
fore"