The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-02-04
THE NEW HIGHWAY SCHEME

road improvements. oy popular WIZ,
are now looking to the state assembly
| to evolve program whereby the
enormous fund may be expended in a
manner that will assure to the people
of the state the most effective results
possible. Various tentative programs
have been suggested and it is probable
that, in the one finally adopted, there
will be incorporated many of the best
| features of those suggested. How
ever, the paramount duty of the Leg
islators is to launch intelligentiy and
judiciously, the great constructive
plan Of road improvement maze pos
sible by the success Of the bond issue
proposition.
Intelligent and judicious supervi-
sion of the expenditure Of the $6O,-
100000 fund can only be secured by
sensible legislation and by placing In
charge Of the project men qualified
by training and experience-men big
enough to make the interests Of the
entire state their first consideration:
Men Of that type now at the head OF
broad development activities have made
numerous recommendation which will
| in all probability he followed. One OF
these. made by the state board, was
that the Kings Highway be made one
of the permanent thoroughfares to be
developed with the $60,0O0,0O0.
It is natural that movements should
be inaugurated in certain sections OF
| the state for the purpose OF diverting
to those particular sections as much
Of the money as possible, without hav-
ing carefully considered whether the
policies fostered will prove to be of
state wide benefit. There are certain
instances wherein specified programs
recommended would prove 'descruc-
tive rather than constructive.
The project preached by representa-
tives of the so-called Southeast Mis-
souri, Trunk Line Highway Associa-
ton at the Chamber of Commerce
meeting at Poplar Bluff Tuesday was
dramatically opposed to the recon-
mendation Of the state board regard
ing the highway, north and south
Through Southeast MissoGfi. The
plan of the association to locate the
, highway along a route between Farm.
ington and Poplar Bluff, would, II
adopted, not only initiate against the
success of the entire road improve
lment project but would deprive the
people Of the state of one. of its mosi
desirable highways. A careful study
Iof the topography of the section II
(which the proposed route and tint
Kings Highway are located and Of
the industrial conditions in the section
should convince anyone Of the trutf
!, Of this statement. The route Of thu
proposed highway would be through
Fredericktown, Marble Hill, Advance
Bloomfield, Dexter and Poplar Bluff
the original plan to have it EXTENDED
to Campbell having been, for som'
, reason. abandoned. There is no high
way connection between Bloomfield
and Marble Hill through Advance am
: | it would be necessary to construct
/ road bed on practically unplaze'
+ trail between these two points.
I \ In addition to this, it would be nee
essary to expend vast sums upon tn
/ roads on the route now in existenc
Ieven to bring them up to the presen
standard of the greater portion OF tn
Kings Highway. Furthermore, sine
, 1.-THE aforementioned association ap
! pears to be largely influenced by tn
: promoters of the alone Star Route
/, It has been suggested that the propos
t ed highway be projected through TN
!, hills of jefferson county to st. Louis.
The Kings Highway, on the othe
7 hand, is now recognized as thorough
4 fare, traffic has been directed to II
3 the highway has been brought to
high standard of road efficiency,
!. has been carefully marked, and
forms even now great artery 0
traffic. The highway has been hard
}. surfaced from Charlottesville to Ben
: ton; between Cape Girarde@u and Ste
Genevieve, it has been well gravelle
D and the remainder has been improve
s by other processes.
4 Viewing the situation from anothe
n angle, it can be seen from study Q
q a map of the section that the King
! Highway taps the most congeste
4 area and that the tendency of travt
from the west is practically entlrel
# eastward toward the highway. IN
4 thoroughfare is also connected wit
q Birds Point and Cairo by an excellsI
f roadway, partially concrete and va
i easily be reached from Southea'
d Missouri points by feeders.
n ANY argument in favor of a higf
+ way, north and south, TO replace tn
v Kings Highway is but a,fiimsy on
: especially from an economical stant
point since the outlay necessary
. construct virgin stretches TO road an
to build up country trails would
several times greater than the amour
: necessary to develop the Kings Higi
way, already well improved. The
too, those antagonistic to the King
4 Highway plan contemplate appropria
g ing portions of it, thereby fostering
y manifestly Illogical and highly e.
q pensive plan to deviate the routing
ie The promoters of the Southea
!, Missouri Trunk Line Highway ASS
II citation should give the interests Of Il
le state primary consideration. WHIT
r they do, they will favor the plan
n make the Kings Highway perm
70 nent thoroughfare.--Cape Girardet
III.