Evening star., 1922-09-10
Road Materials and the District.

In another part OF Inc star touay
is an article which sets forth the fact
that the District is not now included
in the benefits of the act Of Congress
passed in 1918 authorizing the War
Department to turn over to the De-
partment of Agriculture a part Of its
stores of road building machinery for
distribution among the states. Unless
definitely specified the District Is never
regarded as state" for purpose of
receiving federal benefits. And yet on
the basis of the contributions to the
funds from which the United States
government drew to buy the war ma
terials, including the road'making ma
chinery and equipment. the District
unquestionably should be included as
beneficiary in the distribution of the
surplus.
The District contributed to all the
war loans far beyond its quota, in
some cases leading the country in per-
centage. 1t gave generously to every
form Of wartime subscription. It far
more than did it's bit in maintaining
the governments war needs. 1t sent
nearly $4,000 of its men into the serv-
ice, and had many more ready for duty
in case of need when the armistice
was signed. The Districts war record
was one of the brightest in the
country.
Yet, despite this fact, when the time
comes to make useful the now wasting
materials available for road building.
the District, because it is not state"
and because it Is not specifically in
cluded. perhaps through careless mat
tention. may not have the use of any
of this valuable machinery.
In the making Of roads the material
which the War Department has avail
able constitutes about AZ per cent of
the whole cost. Thus the states, draw
ing upon this store of federal wartime
supplies. are able to build roads ap-
making cost in the District OF Colum-
bia. Yet the Districts roads-which in
clude streets-are in a deplorable con-
dition. They are in urgent need OF re-
pairs, and in some cases Of complete
reconstruction. From the best paved
city in the United States, Washington
has become one Of the worst through
lack of funds under congressional ap-
preparation to keep the highways in
order. The annual cost in broken
springs and axles and wrecked motor
cars directly attributable to the bad
condition of the streets would itself
make liberal contribution toward the
upkeep of the highways.
Simply because the Districts roads
again including streets-are short
does not signify that they are not
worthy of consideration equal to those
of the states. 1t is just as important
long one. 1t is much more important
to keep the streets of the capital in
order than to develop good roads
through long stretches Of country dis
tricts anywhere. If Washington is
merely a point on a through road 1t
may soon become like one OF the coun-
try towns so frequently encountered
by tourists, where the street limit
signs are a travesty. inasmuch as even
to approach such a limit invites dis
aster because Of the corrugations and
ruts and humps and holes Of the pave
ments.
II Congress will not appropriate
literally from federal and District
funds for street paving and road re-
pair and building in the District it
should at least make available for this
community the materials that have
been offered to the states, and that are
not vet in such demand as to threaten
any early shortage.