The Raymer enterprise., 1921-04-21

system and the federal regulations are
lacking In hslpfulnsss or hindering IN
restrictions. Ths remaining obstacles
which are the heritancs Of capitalistic
exploitation must bs removed and u.
Dor must Join management In under.
standing that the public which pays. y
the public to be served and simple jus
tice Is the right and will continue to
be the right Of all the people.
Transportation over highways d 1T
tie less important but the problems re-
late to construction and development
and deserve your most earnest atten-
tion, because we are laying q founda.
ton for long time to come and the
creation 10 very difficult to visualize
In Its great possibilities.
The highways are not only feeders
to the railroads and afford relisf 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 COM
merce and the motor car has become
an indispensable instrument In our 20.
litical, social and industrial life.
There 10 begun q new era In high
way construction, the outlay for which
runs far into hundreds Of millions Of
dollars Bond issues BY road dlstricts,
counties and states mount to enormous
figures, and the country is facing such
an outlay that II is vital that every
effort shah be directed against wasted
effort and unjusifiable expenditures.
The federal govsrnmant can place
no inhibition on the expenditure In the
several states; but since Congress has
embarked upon policy Of assisting
the states In highway improvement
wisely, ! believe, 1t can assert q wholly
becoming influence in shaping policy.
With the principle Of federal PARTED.
patton acceptably established. probably
never to be abandoned, It u important
to exert federal influence in develop
ing comprehensive plans looking to the
promotion Of commerce and apply our
expenditures In the surest way to
guarantee q public return for money
expended.
Federal Aid to Be Guarded.
The large federal outlay demands q
federal voice In the program Of expen-
dIture. Congress can not Justify a
mere gift from the federal purse to
the several states, to be pro-rated
among the counties for road better.
ment. Such q course will invite abuses
which 1t 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 II. And Congress
ought to prescribe conditions to fed
eral appropriations which will necessi-
tate consistent program Of uniform
ity which will justify the federal ont.
lay.
know Of nothing more shocking
than tho millions Of public funds
wasted in improved Highways, wasted
because there b no policy Of maints-
nance. The neglect u not uaivsrsaa,
but It 10 very great. There 10 nothing
the Congress can do more effectively.
to end this shocking waste than con.
dition ali federal nd on provisions for
maiptsnnee. Highways. no matter
bow generous the outlay for construc-
ton, cannot be maintained without
patrol and constant repair. Such con-
ditions insisted upon In the grant of
federal aid viii safeguard the public
which pays and guard the federal
government against political abuses.
which tend to defeat the very purposes
for which we authorize federal eIpen.
diture.
Linked with rail and highway is the
problem Of water transportation-in-
land, coastwise and trans-oceanic. II
Ii not possible on this occasion to sug-
gest to Congress the additional legis-
lation needful to meet the aspirations
Of our people for q merchant marine.
In the emergency Of war we have con.
structed tonnage equaling our largest
expectations. Its war cost must be
discounted to the actual values Of
peace, and the large difference
charged to the war emergency and the
pressing task is to turn our assets In
tonnage to an agency of commerce.
It Is not necessary to say 1t to Con.
gress, but ! have thought this to be
fitting occasion to give notice that
the United States means to estab-
lish and maintain a great merchant
marine.
Our differences Of opinion a to Q
policy Of upbullding have been removed
by the outstanding fact Of our hav.
Ing builded. II the intelligent and ef.
ficient administration under the exist.
Ing laws makes established service i'm.
possible, the executive will promptly
report to you. Manifestly our laws
governing American activities on the
seas are such as to give advantage to
those who compete with ~ for the car.
rying Of our own cargoes and those
which ought naturally to come in