The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-04-20

which are the heritance Of capitalistlc
exploitation must be removed and
labor must join management in I'M
Outstanding that the public which pays
is the public to be served and simple
justice isntthe. right and will continue
to be til 1NzI faN1tsspeople. ~
Highway 1uiidiHv.
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 fOunda-
ton for d 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 it 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 a policy of assisting
the states in highway improvement
wisely, believe, it can assert wholly
becoming influence in shaping policy
General Supervision.
With the principle of federal partici-
patton acceptably established, prob
ably never to be abandoned, it is i'm
pOrtant to exert federal influence in
developing comprehensive plans look.
ing to the promotion Of commerce and
apply our expenditures in the surest
way to guarantee public return fol
money expended.
Large federal outlay demands q
| federal voice in the program of ex
penditure. Congress cannot justify g
mere gift from the federal purse tC
the several states, to be prOrateC
among counties for road betterment
Such a course will invite abuses which
it were better to guard against in thu
beginning.
The laws governing federal ait
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 consistent program of uni
formity which will justify the .federd
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 cond
ton all federal aid on provisions TO
maintenance.
Highways, no matter how generou
the outlay for construction, cannot b
maintained without patrol and cor
slant repair. Such conditions insiste
upon in the grant of federal aid vii
safeguard the public which pays an
guard the federal government agains
5 political abuses, which tend to defea
! the very purposes for which we at
tlSorize federal expenditure.
Merchant Marine.
] ipl-a1 with roll onl ph &c I'll
problem of water transpOrtation-ir
land, coastwise and transoceanic.
: is not possible on this occasion to sus
gest to congress the additional legi:
lation needful to meet the aspiration
of our people for merchant marine
. In the emergency of war we have col
structed a tonnage equaling GU
9 largest expectations. Its war COS
must be discounted to the. actual va
ues of peace and the large differenc
: charged to the war emergency and tn
$ pressing task is to turn our assets i
: tonnage to an agency of commerce.
c 1t is not necessary to say it to COZ
( gress, but have thought this to be
= befitting occasion to give notice thi
\ the United States means to eStabliS
Q and maintain great merchant m;
: rine.
Marine Laws.
+ Manifestly if our laws governin
:, American activities on the seas al
$ such as to give advantage to thos
D who compete with us for the carryin
$ of our own cargoes and those whic
\ ought naturally to come in America
: bottoms through trade exchange
$ then the spirit of American fair pla
+ will assert itself to give America
carriers their equality of Opportunil
This republic can never realize i
j. righteous aspirations in commerce
= can never be worthy the tradition
n of the early days of the expanding +
: public until the millions of tons
X shipping which we now possess al
!. coOrdinated with our inland transpo
g tation and our shipping has gover
!. ment encouragement, not governmel
: operation, in carrying our cargo,
under our flag, over regularly Operi,
!. ed routes, to every market in Il
, world, agreeable to American e