Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-07-07
Turn Texas Loose and Let
Her Grow

Speaking Of Texas highways. their cost In three and
one-half years and "the job unfinished" Texas tax
payers interested In economy Of expenditure as well
as honesty in government are referred to the follow
ing paragraph taken from an address delivered by
Chmn. r. S. Sterling before the Engineers club OF the
city of San Antonio:
with one hundred million dollars spent on Texas
roads the past three and one-half years Of the present
state highway commission. Texas roads are not yet
one-third finished and the 10000 miles Of road on
which that statement is based viii not be sufficient
for the Texans of the future. Twenty thousand miles
Of permanent highways will be insufficient for Texas
because many fast developing counties Of West Texas
have only one designated highway across them and
will have to have other highways to serve their COM
plete development"
Chnn. Sterling made a declaration that Just prior
to the formation OF the present commission there
were no hold-over members as he legislature failed
to confirm recess appointments. He charged that at
the start engineers were let out because OF personal
dislike or reported incompetency or dishonesty. He
said he objected 70 this sort Of procedure and suggest
ed that all engineers be discharged and hired over If
such were found desirable. IN conclusion he made
this statement and he placed emphasis on his words:
Il am opposed TO an elected commission for as one
has suggested. the large cities might elect a commits
sion and the latter would neglect the smaller places.
If the commission had to depend on the suffrage OF
the people for its job 1t certainly would be at a dis
advantage: possibly doing things under political press
ure that 1t would not do otherwise"
1t is for the people to declare by their ballots the
system they prefer an elective commission Of three
or five, a proposal championed or advocated by GER
tain candidates for the office Of governor, or a COM
mission to be appointed by the governor and which
has been in vogue since the Texas legislature. created
the state department Of highway.
Highway building or rather highway construction
Is in its infancy in Texas. If it has cost one hundred
million dollars ~ construct and y,afpt,s,, efa4a tfoI,-
ways in three and one-half years with the job a third
finished what will the cost be in another three and
pne-half years with the growing demand for high
way construction coming from the people Of the 24
counties in the commonwealth Of Texas7
It would be well for the people Of Texas who pay
taxes and who are qualified voters to smash the black
flag of dscord. the pirate banner of hate. the miSer-
able petty jealousies and petty rivalries Of ambitious
individuals and to Danish from the political realm
racial and creed ghosts in order that the safe and
the sane who love their commonwealth and are proud
of its remarkable progress, should be privileged to de-
vote their brains and their energies to a solution of
the problems which concerns their pockets, their
progress and their prosperity.
IN DAYS Of long ago George Warwick Clarke. known
rs the little giant Of Texas. had a slogan, Turn Texas
loose and let her grow" There's an open road for the
builders. There is a wide highway for those who
stand for honesty IN government. taxation equal and
uniform, efficiency Of public service and a Texas in
1910 that will show a population count Of Of ten to
twelve million and rank second or at least third in the
list Of the American commonwealths.