The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-04-22

exploitation must be removed and
labor must Join management in un-
derstanding that the public which pays
Is the public to be served and simple
Justice is the right and will continue
to be the right of all the people.
Highway Building.
Transportation over the highways is
little less important, but the problems
relate to construction and development
and deserve your most earnest inten-
ton because we are laying a founda-
ton for long time to come and the
creation is very difficult to visualize
in its great responsibilities.
The highways are not only feeders
to the railroads and afford relief from
their local burdens; they are actually
lines of motor traffic In interstate
commerce. They are the smaller ar
teries Of the larger portion Of our
commerce and the motor car has be-
come an Indispensable instrument in
our political, social and Industrial life.
Federal Assistance.
There Is begun new era in high
way construction, the outlay for which
runs far into hundreds of millions of
dollars. Bond issues by road districts,
counties and states amount to enor-
nous figures, and the country is fac
ing such an outlay that 1t is vital that
every effort shall be directed against
wasted effort and unjustifiable ex-
penditure.
The federal government can place
no inhibition on the expenditure in
several states; but since congress has
embarked upon policy of assisting
the states in highway improvement,
wisely l believe, it can assert a wholly
becoming influence in shaping policy.
General Supervision.
With the principle of federal partici-
patton acceptabIy established, prob
ably never to be abandoned, it is i'm
| portant to exert federal influence i'm
developing comprehensive plans look
ing TO the promotion of commerce and
apply our expenditures in the surest
way to guarantee a public return for
money expended.
Large federal outlay demands a
| federal voice in the program of ex.
penditure. Congress cannot justify a
mere gift from the federal purse to
liiC SChNltN "a " bC
among counties for road betterment
Such course will invite abuses which
it were better to guard against in the
| beginning.
The laws governing federal aid
| should be amended and strengthened
The federal agency of administration
should be elevated to the importance
and vested with authority comparable
to the work before it. And congress
ought to prescribe conditions to fed
eral appropriations which will neces
state a consistent program of uni
fOrmity which will justify the federal
outlay.
Constant Repair.
l know of nothing more shocking
than the millions of public funds vast
ed in improved highways, wasted be
cause there is no policy of mainte
nance. The neglect is not universal
but it is very near it. There is moth
ing congress can do more effectively t.
end this shocking waste than condi
ton all federal aid on provisions fol
maintenance.
| Highways, no matter how generOu!
the outlay for construction, cannot bC
maintained without patrol and con
slant repair. Such conditions insisted
! upon in the grant of federal aid will
safeguard the public which pays anC
guard the federal government agains
political abuses, which tend to defea
the very purposes for which we au
thoriZe federal expenditure.
Merchant Marine.
Linked with rail and highway is thu
problem of water transpOrtation-in
land, cOastwise and transOceanfc. /
is not possible on this occasion to sug
gest to congress the additional legis
lation needful to meet the aspiration!
of our people for q merchant marine
In the emergency of war we have con
Structed tonnage eQualing on
largest expectations. Its war cos
must be discounted to the actual val
ues of peace and the large difference
charged to the war emergency and thu
pressing task is to turn our assets il
tonnage to an agency of commerce.
1t is not necessary to say it to con
gress, but | have thought this to be {
the United States means to establish
and maintain a great merchant ma
rine.
Marine Laws.
Manifestly if our laws governing
American activities on the seas ar
such as to give advantage to thos
who compete with us for the carrying
of our own cargoes and those whicl
ought naturally to come in American
bottoms through trade exchanges
then the spirit of American fair pla,
will assert itself to give American
carriers their equality of opportunit
This republic can never realize it
righteous aspirations in commerce
can never be worthy the tradition
of the early days of the expanding re
public until the millions of tons o
shipping which we now possess ar
coordinated with our inland transpor
tatiOn and our shipping has govern
ment encouragement, not government
operation, in carrying our cargoe