The Winslow mail., 1925-10-09
POLICY OF EAST Is
UNFAIR TO WEST In
AID FOR HIGHWAYS

EtOuOlHlSlS anu "
eastern states are insistant thai
the government give up the policy
of extending federal aid to high
ways. The heavily populated east
ern states have their roads al
ready, and now they desire thai
road-building be halted, despite the
fact that the 400, 100000 acres Of
government land are contained
within IL western states, from
which the federal government de-
rives great revenue. Concerning
the agitation in the east, the Los
Angeles Times, in a recent issue
says:
IAN issue of vital Importance to
the west, and particularly to Call
fornia and Arizona, is seen in the
question of whether the unfair
economists of the eastern states
will succeed in forcing the federal
government to discontinue aid Tor
highways. A worse blow could
hardly be dealt to the west than
this Withholding of further support
in the construction of those arter-
les of trade and travel which are
SO necessary to it's future develop
ment.
"In the eight years ended June
80, 1924, the federal government
contributed $371,356,149 toward the
building or completion of about
10000 miles of highway. Seventy
five million dollars was appropriat-
ed by Congress toward this work
for the year ended June 80, 1925,
of which California's quota was
only $2,464,990.7S, although nearly
one-half of the land in California,
or about 40000,000 acres, including
100000 acres of national forests,
are in the public domain-an area
far greater than is contained in any
other state. Georgia received ST.
983, ,02299, although it's land area
is only little over one-third that
of California, while it's population
is less than three-fourths and its
national forests comprise less than
10000 acres.
According to the estimates of
the federal bureau of public roads,
California now has about $4,000
miles of roadway, including nearly
$4,000 miles of surfaced highway.
Due to the pride and enterprise of
its people, this state has a far
greater proportion of smoothly paw
ed highway than any other in the
Union considering population and
area. But people in remote dis
tricts are clamoring for new out
lets, and the lines of communica-
tion from city to city within short
distances often are quite made
uuate to the needs of traffic. The
number of automobiles is great,
with per capita proportion larger
than that of any other state in the
Union. Our motorists travel far
greater distances within the state
than do those of most other parts
of the country. We need new roads
badly, and must have them, and
just because the eastern states are
fairly supplied with them is no rea-
son why California and the whole
west should suffer. If fasteners
need the road money for other pur-
poses let them have it, but they
should not be permitted to rob the
west in this dog-in-t n-the-manger
fashion.
ut is not logical to attack the
c0nstitutionality of federal aid in
road-making, as has been done by
the eastern quibblers and false
economists. The trainers of the
Constitution plainly set forth that
Congress should have the power to
establish postoffices and post roads
has been recognized in subsequent
legislation.
What the federal government
has done for California in the mat
ter of highway aid has not been all
by way of net outlay Last year
the United States realized a reven-
ue of nearly $1,00O.O00 from the ma
tiOnal forests, only one-fourth of
which was returned to the state
for schools and other purposes.
Recent statements made at
Washington indicate that the op-
position of the east to further fed
eral road appropriations will have
sympathetic hearing at the Capitol,
If not entire approval. What the
people of the west must do immed-
lately is to unite in an efficient
and determined defense of govern
ment aid for highways If they do
not do this there is every likeli-
hood that these appropriations.
which are so necessary to our de-
velopment and which constitute one
of the best investments the govern
ment can make to insure the pros
perity of this country, will be dis
continued by the next Congress.
''The Times urges that our lead
ing citizens bestir themselves il
making this defense and that nc
time be lost in uniting the whole
west in an alliance whose argu
ments in support of the continu
ance of the appropriation shall bt
invincible, unanswerable and shall
secure the necessary results"
BLOOD tranSfuSiOnS are given b.