Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

The recent war emergency-so re-
cent that it has hardly yet ceased to
exist-has brought this country up
with a round turn, and need of de-
velopment of a wagon road system
issue
Two outstanding facts have been
developed during the war:
7. That the old graded dirt road is
a thing of the past and cannot be
relied upon.
- That a really national system of
highways is imperative, both as a
measure of military preparedness and
for the efficient and speedy trans
time of peace.
Roads which have been regarded
as firSt-rate. until the war. nave
fallen down when it came to han
ding the traffic of the Army into the
environments scattered here and there
about the country The heavy auto
mobile trucks have cut them to
pieces. Shipments of needed mate
rails have been stalled for hours and
days at a time on these roads.
Nor was this true only OF she
graded dirt roads. Macadam high
ways have been wrecked by the
heavy traffic 1t has been shown
clearly, therefore. that nothing short
of bituminouS construction Will 20.
that it must be something better than
water-bound n,acadam. They should
be capable of carrying two and three
ton motor trucks.
a good roads act is on the statute
books, "a law by which the federal
government may and does contrloute
TO the upbuilding of the highways IN
the states. when the states put up a
similar amount to pay for the con-
struction. So far, however. there has
developed no national highway plan.
no plan by which the roads when
receive federal aid are hooked up INTO
a national highway system capaOie
of caring for interstate trafhc as
well as intrastate traffic. Ana Sucn
a plan is vital need.
Alternative Methods.
Two methods of going about the
creation of "A national interstate SyS-
Ter, of HIGHWAYS DreSerf th"mSHiFeS.
The first of these is for the Secre-
tary of Agriculture. through the op.
Grafton and under the authority OF
the present good roads act. to map
ont a series of really national high
ways, extending east and west across
the continent and north and south
from the Canadian to the Mexican
border. and the Gulf of Mexico. and
TO insist upon the development of
approve the expenditure of the red
eral money for road Improvement only
on such national highways. II ne
will use it. All highway projects upon
VI hitch tn" fedora, money is to 20 eS-
nended must he approved by him. or
his agents. before dollar OF the
money is paid out
The second method is to have the
government go into the business OF
Interstate road development itsef.
aid to establish system of military
roads under military control, Whlcn
will rival those of the old Roman
empire. and to maintain and control
these roads.
senator Chamberlain, chairman of
the military affairs committee. is the
author of a bill introduced last Oc-
tober, proposing Just such a plan.
He provides an appropria ton of $780,
0ao. 600 in his bill as q starter for the
establishment of these military high
ways.
Would Avoid Duplication.
The Secretary of War is directed to
confer with the state officials SO tina
there. shall be no duplica ton OF work.
He is empowered also to undertake
the construction of such a system of
highways in installmentS or divisions
as deemed eNpedient or desirable.
This is large order and in the
minds of many it is considered eX-
1-emeIy doubtful that such plan will
he adopted. especially now that peace
is at hand again. senator PoindeXter
of Washington has introduced a bill
"a lSo. locking to the Establishment of
n system os military highways, but
his measure applies only to the Pa
Citic coast.
To get back TO the first plan, which
seems the more feasible. The Score
tarv of Agriculture. through the office
OF public roads and rural engineer
ing of the department.. of which he is
chief. and with the assistance of the
Army engineers. can lay out Il ma
tional highways plan that should
meet all needs. and he can use the
good roads act to put it into effect.
While the federal government has not
Vet attempted to lay out any general ma =
tjOnal highway system. a number of as
SociationS have been formed outside OF
the government for the promotion of So
called national highways running from
one central point to another. Among
these are the Bankllead and Lincoln
highway aSsocia tons. Both proposed
highways cross the continent. the Bank
head highway running through the
southern states. 1t is the hope of these
associations that it will be possible to
have some of the federal money eX-
pended on the proposed highways.
This country. il is estimated. has eX-
pended something like S.5o.000. 900 on
road construction and maintenance
each year for the last decade. 1t
could continue 10 eXpend similar
sum for the next fifty years. and the
country would be but little better off
at the end of the period. SO far as a
highway system is concerned. than it
is today. il the same old plans of con-
'Struction are continued, in which To-
cal interests mainly are considered and
cooperation and coordination are
minimiZed.
The good roads act was put through
in 1916 and the country has watched
with some interest to see what would
be the result. II took a lot of effort
on the part of the good roads advo-
Gates to get the measure through Con-
GreSS a all, even then. "Paternal-
ism was cried aloud. Many of the
members of Congress believed that
the states themselves should do all
the road building. arguing that it was
a matter into which the federal gov
eminent should not go; but finally
this milestone was passed.
Provisions of Measure.
Under that act. 100000 was made
available for use in the fiscal year
ending June so. 1917. $4,000. 900 in
1918. s15.00o.c0O in 1919. $4,000. 600 in
1920. and sa5.00O,o00 in 1921 The
states must cover this money dollar
for dollar before they receive the
benefit of the appropriation
The Secretary of Agriculture is
charged with the duty of apportioning
the money among the states and of
passing upon all highway projects
proposed under the act This is the
way the apportionment is made: One
third in the ratio which the area of