Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-29
Roads Are Trumps
Leon Arthur Dickinson in Leslie

On the principle that constant dripping
wears away the stone" certain national organ
izations like the American Automobile associa-
tion the National Highways association and
the American Association of State Highway
Officials, have for years past been digging
away at the foundations of our national legis-
lative structure in the effort to undermine its
deep-laid conservatism with regard to fed
eral aid road program. For long time it
seemed an almost hopeless task, but persever-
ance finally triumphed and a very substantial
beginning has already been made along these
lines.
The Sixty-fifth congress- which passed into
history, on March 4 last, has been subjected
to such storm of adverse criticism because of
its failure to pass certain appropriation bills,
that many have entirely lost sight OF certain
measures which were fortunate enough to live
through the tlllbuster and thus became laws at
the very end of the session One of these pro-
vided for an appropriation of $209,000,000 for
federal aid to the various states for roadbud-
ing projects, all of which amount is to be ex-
pended during the next three years.
The general excellence of New York's high
way system makes that in some of the other
states conspicuous by unenviable contrast. Vir-
ginia and West Virginia are practically taboo
by motorists at the present time because of the
atrocious condition of even the main arteries of
traffic. How many, for instance, know that
within rs miles of the national capital there is
a stretch of road which has been the bugbear
of motorists ever since automobiles first came
into general use? Even though for years past
this particular road has been vital link in the
chain of highways connecting the north with
the south, SO little has as yet been done toward
its permanent improvement that for weeks at
=. time it is utterly impossible to motor cars.
Even at its best this road, which crosses the
Infamous Chopwamsic swamp, is passable only
with difficulty, and at risk of damage to car and
driver, while day or two of rain invariably
converts it into miniature replica of section
Of the Florida Everglades.
One of the most notorious examples of pork
barrel highway systems is that which up to
comparatively recently has flourished in Penn
sylvania A map showing the state system of
improved highways in that commonwealth used
to resemble micro photograp hs of bacteria
numerous short and entirely separated rod-ke
structures scattered promiscuousy over the
t:cld of vison, beginning nowhere and ending
nowhere, and seemingly without relation one
to the other. Fortunately the system, or lack
OF SYSTEM seems now to have been superseded
by much more rational plan.
AS with Pennsylvania, SO with Illnois-only
more so! Whereas Pennsylvania has been
or less disconnected, Illinois has been conspic-
uous chiefly by the utter absence of any i'm
proved roads whatsoever. In view of the fact
that she embraces the second city of the land.
THIS fact is, to say the least, surprising. The
contrast between Chcago's fine boulevards and
the county roads elsewhere in the state has been
so pronounced to be almost ridiculous. Ask
any r,otorist who has ever been stuck IN the
rich and sticky "gumbo" of Illinois and Mis-
souri, what he thinks of touring in those states
and then make tracks for the tall timber. Truly,
conditions have been very bad IN Illinois, but at
last there is hope of reclamation.
New Jersey and Rhode Island were among
the first to lay down system of hard macadam
roads, but many of them were constructed be-
fore the general introduction of btumnous
binders concrete, and in consequence have
deteriorated rapidly during the last few years.
Some states, like Maine New Hampshire,
Michigan and Minnesota, the fortunate pos
SCISSORS of an inexhaustble supply of gravel, de-
posted in prehistoric times by the enormous
glaciers. Florida, on the other hand, possesses
large deposits of a curious rock called coquna,
which is made up entirely of small marine
shells. Still other states, such as the Carolinas
and Georgia. have sand and clay, not only in
abundance but often in close proximity one to
the other. Either of these latter, b, itself, is all
abomnaton to vehcular traffic, one being diff
cult to traverse in dry weather and the other get
ting very slippery when it rains. Mixed togeth-
er in proper proportion, however these two ma
terals form road surface which stands up re-
markably we'll under all conditions.
Thus it is seen that any community can have
good roads if it really wants them and is willing
to pay the price.