Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-29
BIZ THOMAS J. KEEFE.
General Manager, A. NJ. A.

1eneIai Maua&cI. a. w. a.
An act of deepest interest to the &c.
100000 citizens of the United States
who drive an automobile and to all who
ride in them. was performed yesterday
by Edward Z. Browne. Representative
from Wisconsin. He dropped bill into
the congressional hopper which Will ire
,mendously speed up road CONSTRUCTION
without adding to the burden OF taxa
ton.
Several dozen road bills have already
gone into the hopper. only few OF
sEs-::s will set out Of committee. but
seyesss al signs fail the Browne bill VIII
.'keccme a law at this session" says Dr.
Is. III. johnson, chairman OF the GOOD
roads board Of the American Motorists
Associate The bill had previously
been submitted TO governors and state
highway departments for their conslo-
seration. All CT the States heard irom
to date. II in number. favor the olii'
:and periodicals have given editorial IN
idorsement The bill proposes 10 SET
.apart the proceeds OF the SAFE OF sur
plus war property to France. total OF
ss4o7 .ooo. 600. as q special highway fund
sto be distributed among the states on
abe same percentage basis as Federal AID
for highways.
Aids Good Roads.
Mr.. Browne is one Of the outstanding
men responsible for Wisconsin's GOOD
roads. Having before him a convinc-
ing demonstration OF lo-folo return on
the highway investment in his own
State, he naturally desires to see SINH
lar investment and return in all the
other States. In period of 100 days In
1927, 1900, 900 people entered Wlscon-
sin BY automobile. The average stay OF
each car was nine days, and these tour
lists spent over 81 ,000, 900 day, or Sll2,-
600. 900 IN 100 days.
For the origin of the proposed legis-
1ation we must go back 10 April, 1860.
10 the Federal camps in Virginia and
the Carolinas, states DR.. johnson. Fol-
lowing Lees surrender in many OF those
camps, the officers 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. and in other in
stances the mules were shipped North
and were often sold at Army auction
sales for less than the cost OF freight
getting them back home.
Remembering what help this was
to after-the-war recovery. few days
following the cessation OF hostilitieS In
the World War we proposed that in
stead of selling surplus war property at
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 at that
time and thus the most impressive in
stance of turning swords into plow-
shares In all history was inaugurated.
Machinery and equipment valued at
oh
Junk on the fields of France had the
war lasted six months longer were
placed In commission improving high
way conditions in every State Of the
Union.
Leads to System.
Heads Of the Government have stated
that this distribution Of equipment had
done more to better road conditions
than all the money Congress had appro-
priated for the purpose, that it had
1ed 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, it would more
than Offset the entire financial cost to
Us Of the World War.
We received $4,000 motor trucks
Placed as close together as they could
be In safety. they would reach from
New York TO San Francisco. There
were enough TO have given II trucks
70 every county In the United States.
All Of this equipment. however. was
shipped out from Army bases and ware
houses Ia this country, except q little
returned from Germany. We knew that
the heaviest. the costliest and the most
valuable was in the warehouses of
France. From the invoices We DOS
eesSed an invoice Of the things we
needed for road bunding was prepared
and the Secretary Of Agriculture req
uisiuonec this invoices from the Sec
Rotary OF War. On June 26, 1919, Sec
Rotary Baker cabled TO the chairman
Of the Liquidation Commission In Paris
70 return this invoice 20 the United
States for distribution TO the States
under existing legislation. To have
compiled would have beer to delay and
probably upset negotiations for the sale
90 this equipment vas included in the
sale 10 the government of France, after
II had by act Of Congress and by order
Of the Secretary Of War been given 70
the States The representative Of the
Secretary OF War had gone to France
% receive the goods and attend TO the
shipment. and the States were eagerly
anticipating Its arrival.
Criticism Sidestepped.
There was not then, nor lis there
now. the slightest disposition 70 cri.i-
else the Liquidation Commission 10,
concluding the sale as 1t was concluded
II could not have done otherwise
But there was disappointment, wide
spread and keen. felt not only by tiae
90 governors and State highway depart
nnents, but also by the National Good
Reads Associations.
Following is an incomplete list of the