Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-19
NATION BACKING
COLOSSAL ROAD
BUILDING PLAN
Next Three Years WIN See I'm
mense Highway Construction
Program Carried Out.
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN.

United States during the next three
years.
1t is estimated that by 1921 close
to a billion dollars will have been
spent for good roads in this coun-
try. Of this huge sum, s275, 00o,-
900 has been appropriated by con-
gress as federal aid in road con-
struction.
In addition to giving direct
financial assistance, the federal
government is also encouraging
the improvement of highways by
distributing to the various states
some 10000 motor trucks used by
the army during the war. These
the highway commissioners of the
states and are to be used only for
road building purposes.
For more than a century-that
is, up to 1916-the federal govern
ment did practically nothing to aid
or abet in developing or improving
highways In 1916 congress voted
SIS, COO, 900 for federal highway aid
on the fifty-fifty basis with the
states, but on account of the war
much of the road work contemplate
ed at that time was held in abey-
ance. Now there is revival of
interest on the part of the national
government in better roads, which
finds expression through the me-
dunn of the bureau of public roads.
The first and only national high
way constructed by the govern
ment was the old, historic Cumber-
land road. The work on that turn
pike was begun under President
Jefferson and continued under
Monroe. Beginning at Cumber-
land, Md, the road ran through
Maryland, Pennsylvania, what is
now West Virginia, Ohio. Indiana
and Illinois. st. Louis was the OBJ
jective point, but railroads came
into use before the completion Of
the project and the road stopped
short somewhere in Illinois. The
old Cumberland road was to have
been used to open up traffic be-
tween the east and west, and it
was planned in such a way as to
have direct communication with
the Atlantic ocean. The scheme
was to use the stage coach for
transportation from western points
to Cumberland, then the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal, which is
still in operation, from Cumber-
land to washington, connecting
with the Potomac river to the
ocean. So does it appear that the
unfolding of time quite upset this
deliberately worked out govern
ment project.
Although the Cumberland trail
fell into disuse for a time after
railroads began to link up the east
with the west, the greater portion
of it has been improved within re-
cent years by the various states
through which 1t runs. Many of
the old pioneers who went west in
the early part of the 10Th century
Travelled by stage coach over this
early ribbon of good roads.
Need is Obvious.
The need OF good roads is be-
coming more and more obvious
with the increase in the use of
motor vehicles. Ten years ago the
highways of this country were
subjected to traffic scarcely differ
ent from that which they had
borne in revolutionary days. The
past decade has witnessed a ire
mendous change in highway trans
portation. The motor vehicle is
responsible for this revolution in
conveyance. and to it is due new
stress upon the 200,0 900 or more
miles of roads in the United States.
Today there are said to be about
$500, 900 motor vehicles in use in
this country. OF this number it is
estimated that 100000 are CONNER
cial cars, ranging from light deliV-
cry wagons to heavy trucks.
Allowing an average of 5000
miles per year for each of the
5000 900 remaining passenger cars
and assuming an average of three
passengers to a car, the result will
show a total of $4,000, 100000 pas
senger miles Travelled during the
year. This figure exceeds that for
the railways of the United States
for the year Of 1916, which was
"a 900. 100000 passenger miles. So
are automobiles and roads shown
to carry more people more miles
then railroads.
Good roads have a direct effect
RI the cost of living. Motor trucks
rld good roads enable the farmer
transport his products to mar
at a price less than of hauling
Il wagons and shipping it by
L. Often fcodstuffs perish on
le farm because Of the lack of
proper transportation facilities
They often deteriOrate in transit
because of the sslowness Of their |
tourney. Good roads speed them |
up.
The bureau of public roads gives !
the cash expenditure on highways |
for the year Of 1915 as S267 ,000,- |
600. During the war most of the !
big road building projects were |
temporarily suspended, and the re- !
suit is that most of the highways |
the country are in run
down condition.
The work of improving the |
highways already in existence and |
starting new projects will be linn.
fed only to the supply OF labor |
and material, according to T. H.
chief OF the public |
roads bureau. Road construction |
work which is progressing in all |
parts Of the country" he said, is
rapid1y absorbing all the excess |
Iabor there is IN the land, and 1t
q nv opfnion that before very long
mere will be a shortage Of work
men for road work. During the
next three years we look to see
he biggest road construction pro-
gram carried out that has ever