The Mena weekly star., 1921-07-21
GOOD ROADS ARE
 ON THE INCREASE
Better Highways Movement Has GsaSnea S0o.ooO Miles of Surfaced Ixnrofares for Country Since
 Campaign Began in 1880.

Lauisville, Ky, July lf.--Ine growth of the good roads move
 mens~ in the United States and Cauassa since its organization in 1880 and its stimulation on the advent of fhe motor car and motor truck has a.en 60 rapid that highway construc- fsm4 to-day constitutes one of the rreaEest problems in American econ- annie Fife
 Tanre are now 1.70z organized axsuxsrs actively pleading the cause ~f eusd roads The agitation to daoes Na< Arpught about the construction or q1e zee miles of surfaced highways-- rxisimw the highway mileage of the rYxizn% States to 2,47S,b and cna1 ,af Caxads to zk5,0O0
 Prior ta 1Sse, when Amos G. Batch elder. late chairman of the exscu.ve koar4 of the American AutsmoDile Aaaaesintsnm at Washington, organized fkn Ieague of American Wheoimen md hnenn q systematic campaign, rwoS r-nads enthusiast was looked up .srs vixh undisguised amusement as Aoazzr5ons but, no doubt, we'll meaning sy<r.ou. Usually he was promptly 1sxz down upon" by the luguDrious taxpayer.
 0uposition gradually melted away, .aa thn campaign became more fuuy .nrpanixed and extended.
 Since 1880, more than billion dol lars Aas been spent for highway m, rnruzxauent in the United States and Emzas}a- More than 1900 billion IS .nuw xrziIable and ih billion dollars additional will be necessary to carry cut proiects under contemplation. And yFs. wifh all this, only beginning has Stru made. Billions more must be .s.zfsensxed before the country has any Nhinx like the highway system ade- a1zratss to the traffic needs.
 According to figures compiled by .e{ns federal bureau, there are now 2z,- asxn miles of federal aid roads In the Ur7fxsd States These have cost $36l,- a5ks. S6S. Latest figures compiled by rfhs Asphalt Association, New York .sfow that S353, ,678,7 ,7l236 were made saxaiIable in 569 Eew highway bond is- xssns 4gy states, counties, townships, sruxd districts and municipalities. in May and June this year. This makes x1 .343. .67S.36 now available for road .sxprsT in fhe United States during the .usxt two years.
 M has been only by the most per siEnxnt efforts on the part Of the ad- suucafcs and the formation of militant organizations everywhere that the good roads movement" has been car riesi to it's present high estate. The mafxu ear and the motor truck have done more to form favorable senti- nsent than any other agency.
 While state roads building policies uere nothing new, in view of the ac- fion inaugurated by Kentucky in lS2l which resulted in the completion of a4a miles of state roads by 1857, very little had been accomplished by any of the states or the federal govern went beyond the construction of the tnla roads and the old National Road" frusn Cumberland, Md, to St. Louis, Nc The latter was begun in 1906, :. during the administration of Thomas Jefferson
 Of fine agencies that are now fight txx Tor highway improvement 5b are organized movements for the con sfrlaction of certain national or inter state highways, 15 are national or in- ssrsfabe good roads associations, 34 .nrx state organizations, S04 are auto mobile associations and motor clubs, z6U are road contractors, material or smaehinery trade associations and en- gineering societies, g are motor truck and automobile trade organiza Eions and 131 agencies are publica- eiorn devoted to the movement in one -Eoxzn xr another. In addition, there :arv 7S5 chambers of commerce, mer- chants associations and boards of trade having good roads committees and 135 national tlade or industrial associations in matters pertaining to b5gJaway improvement.