San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-25
Cenhalizinp of Road Con-
struction In State High
way Department Held
Logical Solution of Prob
lem.
BY GOVERNOR PAT NJ. NEFF

By GOVERNOR PAT NJ. NEFF
The construction Of highways has
occupied the attention of the empire
builders Of all the centuries. Wher.
ever we find the footprints Of civilized
men we witness the building of high
ways. Civilization goes by way OF
highways. The Babylonians estab.
lished q wonderful system OF brick
roads, radiating in all directions from
! the city of Babylon. Egyptians built
\ marble roads that to this day bear
testimony of their appreciation of the
necessity for transportation facilities.
The remarkable Roman roads, the
wonder of twenty centuries. have sur
vived the great Roman Empire it
self. The highways of France today
4 are living monuments to the wisdom
4 and foresight of the great Napoleon.
Looking backward across the stretch
of centuries, watching the achieve
Spepts of man during six thousand
4 Vars of human climbing, we aresim-
pressed with the fact that the con-
4 struction of highways has gone hand
in hand with the onward and upward
march of mankind in its efforts to
attain the very highest degree of civil
lization.
! Need For Roads Grows.
Primitive man at first found lit
F tie necessity for public highways, but
as he went forth to subdue the earth,
he found that as he felled the for
Z est, cultivated the soil, increased the
I herds, populated the country. and
sbuilded the towns and cities, it was
also necessary for him to span the
Srivers, scale the mountains and ira
-verse the mountains with public high
sways.
In Colonial days our forefathers
found that the trail and pack-horse
= afforded sufficient means and ample
a provision for their transportation re-
a quirements. But as they founded new
settlements. built new neighborhoods,
and established other colonies, eco
nomic and social conditions prompted
tthem to construct connecting highways.
From that day, as agriculture, conf
merce and industry have developed,
\ the building of more and better high
ways has been necessary, until today
the greatest republic of all times bids
I fair to be the greatest BUILDER of mag
I nificent, permanent highways in all
y history. We are today witnessing the
n birth of the greatest era of road-build-
\ ing of all the centuries. The United
I States leads all nations in this fea-
4 ture of her progress.
Highway construction. maintenance
and operation, is the barometer of our
future development. "Only when we
find travelable road going past every
farm, through every village and city,
will it be time to cease talking good
roads" The manifold benefits Of
good roads may be classified under two
main subdivisions, one dealing with
] social benefits, the other with eco
I nomic benefits. The improvement and
development of public highways is so
jtsk%S,f interviewer with every aspect
Of community life that an accurate
| measure of the advantages and bene-
fits of good roads is impossible.
! All Are Benefited.
No one questions the wisdom OF
constructing and maintaining a sys-
I TEN Of properly surfaced roads. No
community ever regrets its expendi-
ture of time and money in building
fpassable highways. Social conditions
\ improve. The modern highway takes
the isolation out of rural life and like
wise relieves the city of oppressive
congestion. 1t affords the farmer
! ready and economical access to the
market of the city and furnishes the
city dweller an inviting avenue to
rest and recreation in the country.
\ 1t consolidates the small and made
quate rural schools into one modern
community school, provides ample IA
cilities for modern education, erects
I and equips modern school buildings
and carries the rural pupils to and
from schools in comfortable motor ve-
fhicles. 1t is the one great connect
ling link which solidifies the inter-
lest of the urban and rural citizen.
The modern highway and motor
Transportation furnishes the city din
ner tables with seasonable vegetables,
fresh from the country garden. 1t
places the fresh barnyard egg on the
breakfast table of the city home. 1t
enables the country citizen to live
within the very shadow Of the city
sky-scraper and make it possible for
the city dweller to fill his lungs with
&invigorating, life-renewing country air.
1t puts the packing house within a
stones throw of the ranchman and
enables the fruit grower to rush his
perishable products to the metropoli-
tan markets of the nation. The high
way is not an inanimate. material
thing; at is living force that serves
4 to bind the people of this state and
country, more closely together. stamps
sQut, isc,a tion and eliminates distance.
Need Adequate System.
II the building of good roads is
necessary in the development of a
country, then the construction Of an
adequate system of public highways
I in Texas is at the present time i'm
perative. The necessity and the de-
mand for improved highways is in
direct proportion to the area and pop
lulation to be served. As Texas sur
passes all other states in area. her
mileage of enduring highways should
properly exceed that of any other state.
Texas leads all other states in rail-
road mileage. She surpasses all other
states in the number of her farms
and farm products; in ranches and
live stock interests. With an area
larger tnan the Republic of France
or the German Empire. Texas has
future replete with alluring prospects
and boundless opportunities. This
great state of ours has a place in the
sun. Her people should unite in i'm
proving and standardizing a network
of highways that will stand as
monument of usefulness TO future gen.
CREATIONS. Texas now leads all other