The daily morning oasis., 1919-10-01
GOOD ROADS
"A NATIONAL
ASSET
Work Achieved In Exten-
sion of Usable Highways,
and Ameitious Plans of
The General Government
For Further Extension.

cause, the people of the United States
have grown accustomed to progress
sive legislation and big events in tht
last eight years or so, it is likel!
that few paid any attention to thu
news item that Senator Morris Shep
Ipard of Texas had introduced bill
providing for the appropriation Of
$400,000,O0O to carry out the fedora
good road act. Yet this marks the
second step in a long delayed .anc
necessary journey on the part of this
nation.
For many decades the roads OF
America have caused derision, dis
comfort and the waste of many mil
lions of dollars. The latter item in
cluded graft, poor construction and
1 the loss to the farmers and others
who used the highways for the trans
portation of merchandise to market.
/ Foreign visitors could not understand
American apathy, seeing the i'm
mensity of the business involved and
having a distinct recollection Of the
wonderful highways of Europe. Some
states, it is true, learned their lesson,
but to the majority good road was
rarity.
But the American is learning and
quickly. The work started by the
Wilson administration in 1915 has
been such speaking, paying success
that there is little doubt that Sen
ator Sheppard's bill will pas Con
gress, and that $400,000,000 vii be
expended in further improvements
from 1921 to 1924.
The distance across the Unitel
States from the Atlantic to the Pa
cifc is approximately $500 miles.
In three years, with the Federal Gov
ernment putting up practically dollar
for dollar with the states, 15,069
miles of perfect roadway have been
constructed, or projects have been ap-
proved and will be carried out prior
to 1921 in every commonwealth in
this nation. Or, by way of compar-
ison, enough roadway to span the ma
ton between oceans four times, with
something left over for detour into
Canada.
These 1909 miles of roads-con-
structed up to August 81, 1919, would
nearly encompass the boundary lines
of the. United States, running down
! the Atlantic coast from where New
Brunswick adjoins Maine, around the
Florida peninsula, along the Gulf of
Mexico to the Rio Grande river, along
the Mexican border to the Pacific, up
the coast of California, Oregon and
Washington to the Canadian border,
and then eastward to the tip of Maine
and down to the Atlantic once more.
Considering the magnitude OF the
crop production of the United States
of the present day, it is regarded as
indeed fortunate that there are so
many miles of good roads for the
| hauling to market. In fact, there is
little doubt that the increased mile
age of usable highways has proven a
vital factor in increasing crop pro-
duction and enchancing the nations
wealth, as statistic testify.
The various commonwealth simply
| floundered when good roads were con-
sidered. Some were progressive, the
majority Indifferent. 1t was evident
that federal aid and supervision were
necessary to convince the people
The first chapter in the successful
story of good roads construction was
written in 1912 when Congress voted
an appropriation of $500,O00 for ex-
perimental purposes. This was ex-
pended in worth while demonstrations
and so successful were they that IL
1916 little effort was required to get
a bill through Congress for an ap-
preparation of $75 100000, to be ex-
pended in five years, together with
81 100000 a year for roads III nation
al parks and forest resrves.
This sum was augmented this year
however, by supplemental approp-
ration of 5000, 100000 for the states
and $3,0O0,00O annually for the parks
and forests, carrying the work to
1921. This was grand total of $275,-
100000 for the general work, and
$19,00O,000 for the forests.
But this appropriation has not been
entirely expended, even on paper,
contrary to public opinion of the
methods used in expending govern
mental appropriations. Up to Au-
gust 81, 1919, the 1909 miles of road
planned, under way OF actually con-
structed, had cost but $172,078,788,
of which the Federal Government had
con tributed $7O,715,743. Although
the plan was to have the Federal
Government contribute dollar for dol
lar with the states, this is not always
done as the United States cannot eX-