Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
Real Workers in the National Capital

the rate Of 1900 miles q year will
last for ten years. OF the approx
mately 2, 4S0, 900 miles Of more or less
dirt road not included In the highway
systems, some Of 1t may never be Inn
proved. Some Of 1t Is pretty fair road.
Most OF it is not quite good enough
for the needs Of the traffic and Is be-
ing brought. up to a better standard
a little at time.
But" said to Macdonald, repeat
ing what / had heard pessimists say
from time to time. what will happen
In the future, when these roads have
been rebuilt time after time having
been torn up by trucks time after
time. and each time a new layer of
bonds will be put on the roads and
And ! sobbed by way down a long
vista filled with fright.
Nonsense" said Macdonald. There
is no need for a properly built road
ever to wear out. Maryland has proven
that. The federal aid roads are all
properly built, because we see to it.
And they are kept up properly be-
cause they are inspected. Not a mile
of properly built road, properly in
spected, properly maintained, has
ever worn out. Put that In your
pipe"
Proper Policing Needed.
What is the big need of the road
system today?"
Proper policing. Country roads
must be as we'll policed as city streets.
Sooner or later the states will see 1t.
And eventually the more than 2,000,-
900 miles of feeder roads, now under
the jurisdiction Of local officials,
should be put in charge OF the state
highway departments, whose officials
know more about road building and
road maintenance"
Then-the highway boss of the coun-
try jolted me. He said that federal
aid IS not costing the average citizen
anything, although 4 billion dollars
was spent last year by the federal
government and states combined.
The average citizen is a big gamer.
He gets his milk and eggs and butter
and wheat -four and cornmeal more
regularly. with more certainty and
presumably cheaper than he ever did
before. or ever could II the network Of
hard-surfaced federal-state highways
try. But he doesn't pay for it. He is
in the position Of sitting pretty. The
car-owner pays.
I'm the seven years from 1917 to
has been spent by the federal govern
ment on the administration and con-
struction Of state-aid roads. In the
six years-six. mind you-from 1918
to 1923. inclusive. total OF S5Ss,012.-
021 has been collected in federal ex-
else tax on automobiles and parts"
What sort Of a man is Macdonald?
Mostly, an enthusiast. He had to
be, to get that vision Of turning hum
dreds of thousands Of miles Of sepa-
rated roads into a system Of fine, hard
finished roads on which one can burn
rubber Rather short StOcky black
haired, a bit stand-of1lsh at first. lik-
able at second time of meeting. Not
much Of a politician. Says no road
builder need be politician nova
days. The people are too much in
terested in good roads.
Was Born in Log Cabin.
Born in a log cabin near Leadville
in 1881 and Immediately became in
were none out there. In 1904 began
to try to teach the Iowa farmer about
bodybuilding and got taught instead.
Took the teaching good-naturedly and
by and by he taught back. Wants
every one to know that good roads do
not cost anything.
Even at the present cheap price Of
gas" he says, "it pays to issue bonds
and build roads. For the difference
! in hauling cost between good roads
and bad roads averages a cent a mile
a ton"
He has q streak OF humor. I spoke
Of a recently published letter from a
man who said the road his father
Travelled on was good enough for
him. ,a, .u.n,v wars. s,rsr,.ncs
said Macdonald, i've come to the
conclusion that the only cure for that
sort of a man is death"