Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-08-05

finally dropping down the Sierra Nevada to Sac
ramento, Cal. and then to San Francisco
This train consists of 60 mOtorvehicles of the
types employed by the motor transport corps In
the conduct of the winning of the war; In addition,
accompanying this train are several other
branches of the United States army service, in
Guiding representatives of the engineer corps.
with antiarcraft defense trucks and searchlghts,
and certain specially detailed observers who will
make an intensive study and report to the war
department road conditions.
The trip is being made for both military and
educational purposes, including: An extended
performance test of the several standardized
types of motorized army equipment used for
transportation of troops and cargo and for other
special military purposes; the war departments
contribution to good roads movement; demonstra-
ton of the practicabty of ong-distance motor
post and commercial transportation and the need
for judicious expenditure of federal governmental
appropriations In providing the necessary high
ways
So much for the Lincoln highway a means
of transportation transcontinental road link
ing the United States by states. Consider now
the Lincoln way a beauty spot-and a
n oriaL not only to the Great Emancipation, but to
the heroes who followed his example and won
the freedom of the world in the great war
The roadside planting of the Lincoln way is in
charge of the General Federation of Womens
100000 members. 1t has state federation in
every state in the Union Mary X. Sherman,
chairman of the conservation department of the
general federation, has secured a comprehensive
planting plan for the way. This plan has been
worked out by Jens Jensen. a noted landscape
engineer of Chicago. In general 1t provides for
the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers indigo
nous to the locality. For example, blue prints
have been made for the planting of the way
through the $50 miles of Illinois, These prints
give all necessary details-kinds of trees shrubs
and flowers for each locality; suggestions for
grouping each. The clubs of the several states
through which the way passes will see to 1t that
the planting is done. Many clubs in other states
viii plant memorial miles the way and I'm
addition carry out the same plan in application
20 lincoln way feeders in their states
Features of this roadside planting of the Lin
colin way by the general federation are memorial
traes in honor of individual heroes; groves, foun-
tains camping places along tAa road; fruit and
MT trees for the birds and bird sanctuary from
ocean TO ocean
For ton wears America has been spending from
soOoOO0OOO to SS00OOO,0OO a year for highway
construction and mantenance-wthout national
plon-without relation to the broad needs of the
country as whole and with little coordination
Of effort between states. After spending over
60 900 100000 in a decade, are, broadly speak
ING as far from proper connecting system Of
rsdiating highways in the United States as ever
The latest government figures show a total
highway mileage in the United States of 2457-
sa4 and of this total after the tremendous
expenditures noted, but u per cent, some ,296-
600 miles have received any attention whatever
and these improvements are scattered IL 4S states
in a loose and utterly ineffective way, over va
rious sections of our entire 100000 miles