The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-24
KIVAL Ut kHINS
Hard Surface Roads To Carry
Short Haul Freight in Future.
Prove Better Than Railroads,
j. Frank Smith Asserts.
STATE PLAN IS EXPLAINED
Demand Strong for Uniform
System of Highways.
Weak Counties Suffer Without
Aid of State.

| Beloit, Kan. April 24.7"The time
is here when the hard road and the
truck are expected to supplement the
railroad in carrying most of the short
haul freight" said ]. Frank Smith,
general manager of the Kansas Good
Roads association, in an address here
today before the seventeenth annual
convention of the association. ITO
make such system of highways what
they must be. the state should help
pay the cost of construction" -
1t is to enable the state-or rather
/ give it the legal right-to pay state aid
for road construction to the various
county governments that the new
roads amendment to the state consti-
| tuition was drafted by the recent leg
| islature. Smith emphasized that the
amendment should be adopted at the
next general election His subject was
THE Good Roads Amendment" He
/ said
along. with the state roads is COM
| ing a demand for national roads, to
! be built entirely by the federal govern
ment. This demand is due to the gem
eral use of the highways from state to
| state by thousands of taxpayers and
! truck and auto owners. 1t would be
| simply standing in the way of progress
| for Kansas to refuse to at least aid
| in building state roads when most of
the states are either building or plan
ming to build state roads al entire
| state expense"
Road Amendment Advantages.
| Smith pointed out some of the ad-
VantageS of the roads amendment to
the state constitution which will be
| submitted to a vote by the people of
| Kansas in November. 1920 as follows:
1.-The demand is now here and is
strong for uniform, connected sys-
TOM
only way to ever get such a system is
to have the state not only su 1ervise
but aid in their construction.
without state aid the rich COUNT s
Will build good roads and he weak
counties or communities will hold
back. BY adopting the amendment to
the constitution the wealth of the
state can be equal zed and the state
funds applied over the state uniform
ly and thus in building up a sys-
tenn OF good roads connecting all parts
of the state and connecting with the
good roads from all adjoining states
THE amendment provides for %
per cent state aid and also that the
aid, if provided by the legislature
may be applied to all roads built af-
ter March l. 1919. This will not only
act as st mulapt to all counties to
build roads and have the state fpaa
25 per cent of THAR cost but it will
enable the state high commission not
only to supervise but render financial
aid in road construction. 50
Consolidate the Work
without state aid each county is a
little state within itself in the mattei.
of road building. The truck on its
way to market may have to cross or
use the roads of more than one coun-
ty. No road is better than its poorest
section. If part of the road is paved
and Islrt only earth, then the value of
the paved roads is deprecated. Many
of the market centers and especially
the live stock markets should be ac-
cessible to tn? farmers and stock ais
ers for 100 miles in all directions To
cover this distance it would be neces-
sary to travel thru several counties.
Unless all the main market roads are
dependable then the value of the mar
ket is lost to, the producer who can
not deliver his products