The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-28
Never So Much Enthusiasm as
Indicated in Topeka Today.
To Have 1000 Miles Hard Sur
faced Highways in 4 Years.
Topeka HUB OF ROAD BUILDING
Already Contracts Let for the
First Concrete Highway.
business Sessions TOday-Urge
Gov. Allen Program.
IPRoGKAM IN rULL on PAGE 81

Four thousand miles of hard sur
faced highways, in addition to the
l 600 miles built or financed in the
last two years, are pledged to Kansas
in the next four years by the Kansas
Good Roads association. here today. j.
Frank Smith. general manager of the
association. asserted that the goal is
ssured and would be actually built
financed and under construction in
lie time allotted.
Between 500 and 1000 delegates are
tending the convention which
pened at the Memorial hall for an
ill-day and evening session this morn
ug. The meetings. according to Smith
are the largest of their kind ever held
m Kansas, both from a viewpoint of
attendance and Importance of the
things under consideration. The Me
mortal hall was crowded-every seat
laken-during the entire day Every
county in the state is repre-
sented, and all meetings were de-
voted to pushing the association pro-
gram. The proposed constitutional
amendment whereunGer the state
wo I'D be authorized to spend S60,O0O,-
900 for highways, probably received
more attention than any other project
at today's sessions. A resolution urG-
ing the legislature to act upon the plan
as recommended by Governor Allen,
was scheduled to go before the meet
ing for approval this afternoon
Plans are also being made by the
association 20 obtain more federal aid
in good road building. News that the
senate committee Monday reported
Lew federal aid measure favorably to
the senate. gave new impetus to TINS
oycment The proposed new bill
in
tion of $2.1 51,436 already allotted KAN
sas. give this state S5,745.356 in the
next thirty months. making "A total OF
approxim tel $S.000.000. Smith as
serted today tha- the Measure would
e. able the s.ate highway commission
to increase federal aid on the present
program from % tJ 40 or so per cent,
or increase the program accordingly.
The senate BIZ would increase fed
eral highway aid s200,000,00O ma
tionally
Topeka the Hub.
A resolution endorsing the plan for
increased national aid was also sched-
uled to be adopted by the convention,
Smith said. smith was this morning
named chairman of the resolutions
committee which included four other
members.
The program as pledged by the
Kansas association in the next four
years would make Topeka the hub of
the entire state system A hard-Sur-
faced road east to Lawrence IS already
financed and the contract let. Pros
poets of another such road out of the
city. only along the north side of the
river, were bright today when a COM
mittee from North Shawnee county
and jefferson county announced its
intention of going before the Kansas
association and having the Golden
I;eIt road designated on the proposed
system { hard-surfaced highway.
I'etitions are also being circulated by
farmers and landowners for 4 hard
road northwest out of Topeka to st.
Marys. and similar action is being
taken o.. a highway southwest from
the city to Dover. Smith also prom
ises early action on the plan for high
ways south to Scranton and north to
Holton. Success of these routes in
their Entirety would mean about 100
miles Of additional rural paved high
way in Shawnee county
Kansas in Lead.
Kansas, it was also pointed out at
the convention today, is taking a big
lead over central western states in the
construction OF highways. Altho Mis-
souri, has the largest federal aid APP
propriatiO Kansas is far ahead OF
her neighbor dal the east in the actua
building program.
The convention opened this morning
with Il statement from !. Frank Smith
as to why the conventional special
uue-was called. Smith declared that
this is the most momentous time il
the history of road building in the
state and declared that every ounce
of strength should be given by goot
roads boosters i'll an effort to put the
state road program thru. as is pro
posed under constitutional amend
ment plan.
sees Big New Mileage.
The assOciatIon's general manager
by congress of the bill that would
give Kansas a total of $S,0O0.00O fed
cral road aid in the next thirty
months. He declared that under tn,
plan, construction of an additiona
1000 miles of hard roads should be-
under construction in Kansas in the
next six months
Smith was followed by G. B. Mer
riam, president of the Topeka Cham
Der of Commerce. who officially wei
coined the delegates and promised
that the Chamber of Commerce woulC
lend every possible aid in carrying ou
the states new road program. Re
sponse was made by W. F. Hughes
president of the association. Beloit
Mrs. Minnie Grinstead. representa-
tive TO the state legislature from
Seward county, told of the advantage
OF good roads from her observance
over the state. She outlined the so
cial and financial advantag age-declar r
ing that passable roads we're as i'm
fC"nrinneG "o Page TwoJ
To visiting bankers: If YOU wan
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