The Holbrook news., 1921-04-22

ldChlHS III HelpIulneSS or llIuuerlHS III
 restrictions. The remaining obstacles
 which are the heritance of capitalistic
 exploitation must be removed and la
 Dor must join management in under
 standing that the public which pays, is
 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 is lit
 tie less important but the problems re-
 late to construction and development
 and deserve your most earnest atten-
 tiOn, because we are laying a founda-
 tion for long time to come and the
 creation is very difficult to visualize
 in its great possibilities.
 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 com
 merce and the motor car has become
 an indispensable instrument in our po- |, litical, social and industrial life.
 There is begun a new era in high l way OOASlI lllc Oulidy 1OI MnlCI
 runs far into hundreds of millions of dollars. Bond issues by road districts,
 counties and states mount to enormous figures, and the country is facing such an outlay that it is vital that every effort shall be directed against wasted effort and unjustifiable expenditures.
 The federal government can place ir,I, i,,& I,o several states; but since Congress has embarked upon a policy of assisting the states in highway improvement, wisely, I believe, it can assert wholly becoming influence in shaping policy.
 With the principle of federal partici- patton acceptably established, probably never to be abandoned, it is 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 a public return for money expended.
 Federal Aid to Be Guarded.
 The large federal outlay demands a federal voice in the program of expen- allure. 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 a 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 necessi- tate a consistent program of uniform ity which will justify the federal out lay.
 I know of nothing more shocking | than the millions of public funds | wasted in improved highways, wasted | because there is no policy of mainte- nance. The neglect is not universal, | but it is very great. There is nothing | the Congress can do more effectively | to end this shocking waste than con dition all federal aid on provisions for maintenance. Highways, no matter how generous the outlay for construc- patrol and constant repair. Such con- ditions insisted upon in the. grant of federal aid will 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 eXpen- allure
 Linked with rail and highway is the problem of water transportation-in- land, coastwise and trans-oceanic. It is not possible on this occasion to sug- gest to Congress the additional legis- lation needful to meet the aspirations of our people for a merchant marine. In the emergency of war we have con- structed tonnage equaling our largest expectations. Its war cost must be to the actual values of peace, and the large difference 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 it to Con- gress. but I have thought this to be a fitting occasion to give notice that the United States means to estab- fish and maintain a great merchant marine.
 Our differences of opinion as to a policy of upbuilding have been removed )y the outstanding fact of our hay , ng builded. If the intelligent and ef ,icient administration under the exist ng laws makes established service i'm possible, the executive will promptly 'eport to you. Manifestly our laws governing American activities on the ' teas are such as to give advantage to hose who compete with us for the car i, wing of our own cargoes and those !. which ought naturally to come in American bottoms through trade ex- ,hanges, then the spirit of American air play will assert itself to give Amer can carriers their equality of oppor- t unity. This republic can never realize [ ts righteous aspirations in commerce, 2 an never be worthy the traditions of | he early days of the expanding re- C public until the millions of tons of g hipping which we now possess are CO., t rdinated with our inland transporta- ion and our shipping has government S ncOura cement not government opera [