The Columbia evening Missourian., 1921-01-05
STATECEMENT
PLANTSURCED
FOR MISSOURI
President of Old Trails Associ.
alton Says Rock Is Avail
able Near State
Penitentiary.
ADVISES CONVICT LABOR
Would Be First Std2 in 90 Mil
lion Dollar Bond Project
Not to Delay Road
Work.

The building Of siate-owned cement
plants is urged by Judge J. NJ. Lowe
president Of the National Old Trails As
socia,ion. as ore Of the first steps the
Missouri legislature should take in its
program for the expenditure OF the 6O
million dollars Of road bonds.
Judge Lowe says cement rock is avail
able near the state peniientiary. lie
believes convict labdy could be used in
the state cement plans.
Judge Lowe pointed out today the pre-
liminary engineering work which must
BE- done before the road construction rs
started. He believes cement plants
could be built and put in operation before
road work could begin.
Cemeat must be used in large quanti-
lies in the building Of high class roads,
whether the roads themselves or merely
the base for the surface. are made oi
concrete. IL present the price OF ce-
ment is high and the supply IS con-
trolled by the so-called cement trust
Judge Lowe said;
ALREADY maps are being made and
argument advanced as TO type and loes-
lion Of different roads. OF course this
is a pleasing pastime Almost anybody
can make map and suggest type oil
road. In the meantime no traffic census
has been made upon any OF the roads
Of the state to form a tangible conclu-
sion as to which are the most important
roads. and which ought to be construc-
ted hrs;.
This was the first action taken by
some of the state boards, notably in
Colorado and Illinois. But in Missouri
no such action has taken place. 50
far everything has been done by |
guess. and no one has the remotest idea
that any road suggested will fit the prob
able traffic. or justify certain amount |
Of expenditure.
CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BEGIN NOW
The next most important thing, il
seems to me is that the state should be-
gin at once the construction Of a cement
or number Of cement plants, because,
whether the concrete road Is the last
word to be said in road construction or
not. the amount Of propaganda in favor
Of such type of road has led many per-
sons to regard that type as the real ties:
Of good road building.
Therefore. cement is the one great
factor that fixes the price of almost every
other type Of road Then why should
Missouri. in undertaking the great
amount Of road building we are now pre-
pared for, be tied up as she will 10 this
type Of road and to the tremendous
cost thereof when you can stand in the
door Of the states prison and look out
1n 4 wall Of almost solid cement rock
,ne hundred feet in thickness?
why cant the prisoners be employed
10Th 10 help construct the mills dnd to
AIRY on the process Of preparing cement?
And this is equally true Of Kansas.
oUARmEs FORCED TO QUIT
a few years ago cement quarries were
,eing opened and mills constructed all 1
ver that state, but they were soon forced
MT Of business and the state has taken {
% action To meet the situation.
The objection at once will arise that
his may delay the building Of roads. Not
Bit Of it The mill or mills can be con-
Iructed and in operation before the engi- .
eeiing forces can be marshalled and the :
reliminary steps-iaken for the beginning
work.
"And then keep in mind that il is NOT
gO, three or six thousand miles Of road
lat is going to be built in Missouri. but
e will continue building and rebuilding
ads for all the coming years.
THE Missouri highway board has re-
something over sixteen hun.
ed miles OF primary roads, The &C.
snt alone, from private plants, would
81 more than $1,000 a mile. a total
st Of more than Sl7,6O0,OO6.
This Legislature. soon to convene. can.