The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1919-11-22
HIGHWAY
WOULD BENEFIT
The FARMERS
Network of Roads Would In
crease Farm Efficiency in
the United States

Construction and maintenance of
national highway system of main
trunk roads solely at the expense of
the federal government would do
more than any other one thing to ad-
vance the cause of efficient trans
portation for the farmer, in the opin-
ion of George NJ. Graham of the high
ways committee of the National Au
stomobile Chamber of Commerce.
1.-THE ultimate effect of such con
centration will be to give US net
work of highways designed to care for
the main post road, military and in
ter-state commerce needs of the coun-
try, but there is an important re-
suit which would come Immediately
with the passage of a measure provid-
ing for such construction" said Mr..
Graham.
'The moment that the national gov
ernment begins to take care of ma
tional highways, state highway de-
partments will be able to devote their
funds to the construction and main
tenance of state and county systems.
Since very large proportion of high
way traffic originates with the farm
er, we may look forward to ire
mendous impetus in the construction
of market roads, which will at once
lower the cost of transportation and
serve to equalize distributing condi-
tions.
ITO appreciate what a tremendous
saving this will mean to the ultimate
consumer, it is only necessary to con-
slider the fact that in survey made
by the government it was shown that
1894 900, 900 annually were wasted
: in excessive transportation costs due
! to poor roads. Since that survey was
, made, travel over the highways has
, increased four-fold in the number Of
cars used and more than that in the
, mileage travelled. 1t is not going too
.. far to say that a general improvement
) in our market roads would effect an
: nually total saving of 81 100000,
900 and even that figure is extremely
! conservative when we recall that will
! every improvement traffic at once in
\ creases to very considerable extent
There is another factor which il
! coming more to the foreground eacl
i year. Not many years ago the farm
:. er travelled his nine or ten miles to /
market and sold his commodities a
!, the price prevailing at that point. TIL,
i motor unit has widened his range. /
! the market close to hand does no
t want his produce, he can go. ten
: twenty, thirty, forty miles, even fur
/ Their, if need be, to obtain the bes
: price, if the roads are good.
: CAS- the government pushes for
!, ward its national roads we will fin
an ever Increasing stream of trave
|. not only from the farm to the imme
t diate market, but from one market t
y another, so that our main roads vii
: in sense become market roads.
) 1.-THE only way in which this resul
!: can be brought about quickly
!. through eoneeRtFatien Of government
funds, II can net be aeeemplishe
e under the present metheA, which re
l. fuses to permit government funds 70
e maintenance and forces the state t
i concentrate either large proportio
v or all of its funds on federal aid rrq
IS jects in many cases to the exclusio
I of proper maintenance.
q Federal aid is all right as one ste
. in highway construction; but it is onl,
+ one step and should be supplements
e by federal construction Of fedora
roads. The measure introduced il
: congress by Senator Townsend pro
e viding tor a national highway system
: covers these points, and believe tina
: every farmer who makes a study o.
!. this subject viii agree with the sena
: tors solution of the problem"