Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1925-11-12
EDITO RIAL

A situation that would cone un-
der the condition referred to by
Governor Peay is that of the two
branches Of the TiXie Highway be-
tween Chattanooga and Carriers
vile. If the primary interstate sys-
tenn is adopted, the federal au-
thorities will be called upon to
choose between the Dalton and the
Rome routes. They will have to
weigh the advantages OF each and
designate the one or the other for
federal aid. The advantage of the
Dalton route lies in q slightly short
er mileage between Chattanooga
and Gainesville; but that adVan-
tage, which is slight, is met by
the advantage of the Rome route
in the fact that it will serve the
government and the public in a
much more extensive manner. At
Rome the Dixie Highway from TT.
Oglethorpe, a military post near
Chattanooga, forms a junction with
highways to three other military
posts-Ft. Mcpherson, Atlanta;
Ft. Benning, Columbus; and Camp
Mcclellan, Admission. Troops and
equipment frequently are transfer
red from one of these posts to an
other. The shortest way fer the
movement of troops and equipment
between all of these posts is via
Rome, the only exception being in
movement between Mcpherson and
Benning or between Mcclellan and
Benning. The interstate system
probably would meet that situation
by a highway from Atlanta to
Admission via Columbus.
The plan to concentrate federal
aid appropriations on interstate
trunk highways is but an effort
on the part of good ropds advo-
Gates the country over to combat
growing sentiment in the large and
wealthy states of the East to with
draw all federal aid for road build
ing. Those states with their own
highway systems completed or
nearing completion are making the
plea that taxes collected there
should not be used for the CON
struction of highways in other
states. That is a specious plea,
but they are powerful states in
congress. Good roads advocates
throughout the country have per-
fected the fact that if the opposi-
ton to federal aid for roads is
successfully combatted it must
be by the proposal to confine fed
eral aid to the interstate trunk
lines that will serve the peoI lie
of all sections by providing pavde
roads for transc5nt'neutal and
long latitudinal travel. The prob
ability is that unless the disaffect-
ed states of lne East can be IN
duced to agree to a plan of this ma
ture, all federal aid will be with
drawn.
No spirit of localism should be
permitted to thwart the plan. All
roads cannot be favored People
residing on every road that might
have claim to be on the federal
system will naturally and with
justiflable progressiveness endeav-
or to have their road designated
for federal aid. There will be much
competition of that nature. But
all should understand that every
road cannot be included in the
system. Those that fail to get on
the federal system then would be
entitled to preference by tle state
highway departments.
We have reached the point ir
motor traffic where we can nc
longer consider roads or road APP
preparations from a statewide
viewpoint only. Hard-surfacec
roads are of almost as much i'm
portance as our railways and the
increase of interstate traffic vii
be more marked each year.
Already there is a definite fgh
being made by the manufacturer
of automobiles to have repealed
the Federal tax on cars, truck
and accessories. This ia
amounts, roughly, to 100000,
900 annually, just about the sun
Congress has been appropriate
for Federal aid. The auto ia.
should remain, but it should b
put back into the roads. 1t
a special tax on the buyer of car
and should be used for his bene
fit.
The effort of the auto manu-
facturers, along with the opposi
ton to Federal aid from tn
weather. States of the East will
eventually have its effect an,
Congress will refuse further ak
tor roads unless the appropriation
IS SO used as to give to the mo
florists of the Nation continuou
hard-surfaced roads over the Ma
ton.