Evening star., 1928-02-26
BILL BEFORE CONGRESS HELD
VITAL TO NATIONS PROGRESS
Representative Browne Measure Appro-
priating $407 900, 900 for Road Construc-
tion Urged-Hig ghway Status Reviewed

Note: DR.. Johnson Uds formerly man.
aging director Of the Lee Highuup Asso-
citation and 1Uds the nloUing factor In
extending the Lee Highway route from
Washington through Dirie to Los An
gcles. The BroDn bill propidcs more
than sf07. 900 900 for road construction
and Das Introduced q fen uekes ago by
Representative EdWard z. BroUne OF
Wisconsin.
BY DIR. s. M. JOHNSON,
Chairman, National Good Roads Board Of
the American Motorists Association.
For the origin of the proposed legis-
lation we must 60 back TO April. 1865
to the Federal camps in Virginia and
the Caroiinas. Following Lees sur
render. in many Of those camps the off,
GERS turned the Army mules loose. The
negroes caught them and hitched them
to their plows and broke the ground for
the first crop of the new South. In
other instances the mules we're shipped
North and were often sold at Army auc-
ton sales for less than the cost of get
ting them back home.
Remembering what help this was
to after-tne-war recovery, few days
following the cessation Of hostilities in
the World War We proposed that in
Army auction sales everything suitable
for highway improvement be passed on
by the Federal Government to the States
gratis. Congress approved and passed
the necessary legislation, and thus the
most impressive instance Of turning
swords into plowshares in all history
was inaugurated. Machinery and equip
ment valued at S250,000,000, which
would have been junk on the fields of
France had the war lasted six months
longer. were placed in commission i'm
proving highway conditions in every
State of the Union.
Highway Maintenance Promoted.
Heads OF the Government have stated
| that this distribution of equipment had
| done more to better road conditions
| than all the money Congress had ap-
propriated for the purpose; that it had
led to systematic highway maintenance
! on all the State highways, and that,
considering the far-reaching benefit. the
saving thus effected and the increased
facility OF intercourse, 1t would more
than Offset the entire financial cost TO
us of the World War.
We got $4,000 motor trucks. Placed
as close together as they could be driven
4
York to San Francisco. There were
enough to have given ii trucks to every
county in the United States.
All CT this equipment, however. was
shipped out from warehouses in this
country. except a little returned from,
Germany. The heaviest, the ccstlies,
| and the most valuable was in the ware
houses Of France. We prepared an in
voice of the things We needed for road
building and the Secretary OF Agri-
culture requisitioncd this invoice from
the Secretary Of War.
On June IS. 1919. the following
cablegran, was sent to the chairman oi
the Liquidation Commission in Paris:
Under existing legislation. which
authorizes the War Department TO de-
liver to the Agricultural Department,
any surplus equipment or materials or
! hand. the Secretary of War directs that
the following equipment. now In France
be returned 10 the United States FOL
delivery 10 the Agricultural Depart
mert"
Then follows the invoice
Following is partial list OF the
! machinery, which. but for the mis-