Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02
STUPENDOUS ROAD
PLAN IS PROPOSED
$4,000, 100000 Highway
System to Link All States
in U. S. Urged in Congress.
BY REX COLLIER.

solicited IN a quietly inaugurated but
rapidly developing movement for a
gigantic Federal highway program
which would cover the continent with
web of hard-surfaced trunk line
routes radiating from Washington and
connecting every State capital and
principal city in the Uni-ed States.
The staggering proportions of the
project, sponsored by the newly or
ganized Transcontinental Hard-sur-
and placed before Congress by Rep
resentative William p Holiday of IL
linois, lift it into the same engineering
category with flood control and the
Panama Canal.
Proponents of the undertaking esti-
mate the total cost at $4,000, 600 900,
to be raised by a Government bond
issue and paid of by So annual tax
on passenger automobiles, $40 annual
tax on commercial vehicles and a half
cent levy on gasoline. All other Fed
eral taxes on motoring would be
abrogated.
Construction of the system would be-
gin simultaneously in all parts of the
country under the joint direction of a
cabinet committee comprising the Sec
retarieS of Agriculture, Commerce and
War and the Postmaster General.
Seven Great Highways Planned.
There would be seven great coast-to-
coast highways, criSS-croSsed by more
than dozen north-and-south roads
and augmented by an interlocking net
of direct city-to-city routes of bOule-
ward character.
The National Capital would be linked
to the far-reaching web of pavement
by nine new radial highways, each not
less than 40 feet wide and all con-
nected by broad belt-line boulevard
encircling the city. Other large cities
would be bound into the system in like
manner
The project also contemplates a Sc
rtes OF Federal airportS along the high
ways, elimination of all grade cross
ngs, PRONUNCIATION of uniform national
trafic regulations, indemnif1cation of
States for any State highways taken
into the system, and maintenance of
the entire system by the Federal Gov
eminent
This revolutionary and ambitious
program was conceived by Arthur R.
Hall, law partner of Representative Hol-
aday In Danville, ILL.,, and father Of
Illinois $50, 600, 900 highway agendum.
In fact, the Federal plan, as embodied
in the Holiday bill now pending before
the House ways and means committee,
is patterned closely after the Illinois
program, under which that MidweStern
State has been provided with one OF
the most extensive co-ordinated systems
of motor highways in the country.
Makes Hobby Of Roads.
Hall, widely known in the Midwest
as the father Of good roads" is mild
hammered lawyer, whose hobby is high
ways His enthusiasm is infectious and
convincing. Illinois laughed when he
first proposed his $50, 900, 900 project
for that State, but he won his critics
over and the wild dream" became a
reality. It is significant now that u
linois, by formal action Of its Legisla-
ture, has sent an urgent petition to the
Federal Congress for favorable consid-
Grafton Of Halls wilder dream"-de-
signed to benefit not alone the people
Of one state. but of eli the States.
Hall and Representative Holiday re-
Gently called on President Hoover,
armed with numerous documents and
maps. When they emerged from the
executive Offices some time later they
we're empty handed. Neither would dis
cuss the outcome Of their conference
with Mr.. Hoover, but 1t is known they
outlined the Holiday measure to him
and left with him data Tor 1urtner
study.
At first glance the Holiday
measure may strike the average person
as being impracticable, largely because
of its tremendous ramifcatlons. 10
all of the objections voiced the Dan
willie attorney comes back with the un-
ansverable reply, I'VE proved 1t to be
practicable in Illinois; there Is no rea-
SON why it will not be practicable Tor
the entire country"
Motorists Would Pay.
why not be far-sighted in spending
our road money!" Hall said, IN an In
terview here. by the piecemeal pol
lev of the past America has gained a
patched-up, disconnected system OF
highways of varying materials ana
widths. Is it not sound engineering TO
discard this haphaZard way OF doing
things in favor of a great co-ord1nated
plan that would leave no gaps, no bad
stretches, no other drawbacks OF the
present short-sighted program"
But who would pay for all this" the
interviewer asked.
1.-The motorists of America would pay
for it. And they would do 1t gladly If
they were assured of smooth, broad
roads in every State of the Union-in
their own day. What motorist would
object to paying So year for the priv
iIege of riding on hard-surfaced, safe
Federal highways, free of detours and
confused traffic laws? Or a han-cent
a gallon on the gasoline he buys to en-
Joy the comfort of the standard roads?
Why, he would save more than that IN
tire mileage, gasoline consumption and
reduced wear and tear on ms automo-
bile. to say nothing of his peace OF
mindl''
Hall explained that the work would
be done by contract, and that conStruc-
ton would be launched on a given date,
the work to go on simultaneously all
over the Nation. This would provide
employment for thousands of men now
out of work and would rebound to the
economic benefit of the Nation In many
other ways, he pointed out He thinks
the job could be done in five years.
Estimate Of Costs Made.
The nine roads out of Washington
he stated, would cost approximately
$13,500,000, based on 4O-foot widths fol-
land would get 1897 miles Of new high
way, worth S24 ,4S5, 900. and Virginia
would get l,l12.2 miles, costing $751;
$4,000, according to rough estimates
The Washington highways as pro-
posed, follow:
/. Washington to Niagara Falls, via
Buffalo NJ Y
g. Washington to Nashville, Tenn,
passing through Roanoke, Va. and
Knoxville, Tenn.
3. Washington to Cincinnati, Ohio,
and thence to Indianapolis and Chicago.
4. Washington to Cleveland, Ohio
via Pittsburgh, Pa.
5. Washington to Fort Worth, Tex
via Charleston, w. Va, Nashville and
Memphis, Tenn; Little Rock, Ark, and
Dallas, Tex.
6. Washington to Lake Ontario via
Harrisburg, Pa. and Syracuse. N. Y.
T. washington to Eastport, Me, via
Baltimore, Philadelphia, Trenton, New
York City, New Haven, Newport, Provi-
denra BOSTON porfSY17otnfh