Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1922-10-01
By X. VI. HUBBARD.
Chairman Texas Highway Commission

s'>'H hhS"N"s 'ohilisNiuil
II Is truly remarkable the changes a
short space OF time can bring. just "A
few years ago the automobile was a
rich mans plnything Today IL II a
necessity for all lines Of business and
especially ~ Ia the agricultural inter.
ests.
Local passenger travel is more and
more seeking the highways Local trans
porta,ion Is beginning 10 move In ever
increasing volume over our roads W.
are living In "A new era Highway traf.
fo is revomtionizing transportation
methods as much. IL not more so. as the
building OF railroads did in the past
generations
In Texas prior 10 1917. we thought
very little about reads. especially inn.
proved roads. Now In the short period
# Time since then II has become a most
important and pressing subject Of pub
lie interest Almost everybody wants
good roads and no one has more reason
to want them than the farming inter,
"sts. The town man, IL is true. hiss Dee
come an earnest advocate 81 improved
highways. but not more SO than IA,
progressive farmer.
II Is no longer mooted question but
nearly every one seems tu be- agreed
that We must have roaGs of good tvpos
and the demand Tor more durable ruada
is becoming more inslsteni every dav
The people are demanding the construc
ton Of connected State system NJ
roads that VIII carry the volume and
tonnage OF traffic that IL already with MS
and that which Is inevitably coming.
and what is ~ equal importance that
such a system be maintained after il /,
built
Want Just Basis.
The question and the problem to be-
solved is 20 find the most economical
and equitable manner OF financing and
completing the extensive system of
state Highways planned and mapped
out for our State IN the past few years.
and maintaining them
Experience has clearly demonstrated
beyond any doubt whatever. that tho
only way 10 secure State system of
highways IL Tor the state 10 provide Tho
FUNDS Necessary to construct u and take
direct charge 81 the work II IL Is To be-.
come really and truly such q system.
Since 1917 We have been building read.
with county furnished funds and under
county authority This plan. Do is true.
enables some counties-thosc that pro.
vide the funds To match the allotmpnts
~ aid-to get fairly good county sys.
TENS. but fails completely in securing "a
connected State system Of roads or
equal importance Is the maintenance,
and unless We expect to see. in a very
short time. most. IL not an. OF the oX.
penSiye construction rapidly dotcriorat.
ing, the State must also provide an AIDE
quato maintenance fund and direct ia
expenditure
Federal aid has been great incon.
tive TO read building in Texas. u was
the real aiuse 81 the great wave of road
construction We have witnessed tho
past few years II was primarily In.
tended To encourage the several states
20 establish highway departments 10
plan state systems uf reads 10 central.
ize authority ln trained and competent
hands and to eliminate. as ar as pos.
siblc. the old wastoful and oNtrlyagant
manner Of constructing roads II has
been the cause Of highway cor true
tion being placed upon a much higher
and more scientific basis II has aWak.
cnod the interest 81 an tho people such
as no other method could hlNv done
Probably the authors of the Fedora,
A.d act OF 1916 had no idea II how wcll
they wrought Probably mo- u.h-r piece
81 legislation enacted in recent years
has brought quicker on more sttisfac.
tory results generally throughout the
United States
Results Not Satisfactory.
However In Texas the results hay"
not been all that We could desire. The
Texas Legislature ln 1917 enacted the
State Highway Act This measure was
really forced upon us on account Of the
fact that In order o. participate In the
Federal aid road fund, We had 10 create
an agency through which the Federal
Bureau Of Public Roads could function.
our trouhl. lies in the fact that we did
not 40 far enough and provide an AIDE.
ouatc State fund 20 match the Federal
ing in the state. hut left both the pro-
vision Of the funds 10 match Federal
aid and the authority 20 construct state
highways in the counties Under cur
present system there can be- no conucC.
ted State roads. no uniformity On tyne
of construction and on account 81 IN.
sufficient funds being raised in great
many COUNTIES and no funds 40 all In
some OF them-it is absolutely mpos-
sihle 20 connect up our commercial ccu-
tcrs. and what Ia of more importance
provide nm economical means % getting
our agricultural products Ia market
The State cannot under our presen,
limitations. construct reads but can
only aid the counties by allo,monts ~
state and Federal aid. and only those
counties which take the initiative hy
voting county bond issues.
Some critics 81 Federal iid declare lie
effect ia to take the taxing power out
of the hands 81 the local units ana con-
oentrnte II In state and Federal bodies.
They condemn this practice as an IN
wise principle 81 government But as Gar
as Federal road aid il concerned. h1rd.
~ any one familiar with the situai on
now doubts hut that the Federal govern
mcnt has jus; really started iu Dos read
building pre- gram and that Federal aid
IL now We'll settled and established
principle and pclicy Of cur uatioual GOV.
crnmon, We are nov facing actual con.
dtlons not theories and tW firmly
convinced that the people OF Texas
would not De- willing TO forcCc our part
~ the Federal Rad aid Tho richer
states ~ course, pay the largest
amounts intu the Federal trasury. and
with governmental aid the less wealthy
and populated states receive the bene
IT. which j. az % should he