Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-22
Capital Sidelights
ny WILL r. KENNEDY.

Guiding in their provisions one of those
new tirecovers, advertised on the floor
Of the House by Representative Bloom
Of New York, associate director of the
George Washington Bicentennial Com
mission, which will blazon to all who
take the dust of the CongreSsmens
automobiles that we are TO have an on
to-the- Capital surge In 1892, the Ques-
ton of good roads is uppermest In the
legislative mind.
DR.. Julius Klein, Assistant Secretary
Of Commerce, apostle of business prog
reSS and all that promotes 1t, has contrib
uted to the Congressional Record an In
teresting article on Roads as Business
Builders" which is being read carefully
by practically every member of Con-
gress, who, in turn, are recommending
its perusal TO scores and hundreds of
their constituents that they may come
to deeper appreciation Of the bene-
faction Of good roads through Federal
cooperation with the States.
DIR. Klein reminds them that way
back i'll the days of the Romans they
had a religion of the road" as a vital
factor in well-being, law and order. The
Roman road enabled the Imperial City
to become the mistress Of practically all
the then known world. These roads
formed an intricate and gigantic net
work stretching out TO Spain, up to
Scotland, to Germany and Syria and
across Northern Africa. Sometimes as
much as feet thick and almost IS en-
during as primeval rock, these Roman
highways struck straight for definite
goals.
He recalls, too, that most Of the early
American statesmen were passionately
enthusiastic about the value of good
roads. Washington as young engineer
was road builder. That brilliant Car
Gilman, Calhoun, declared in 1919 that
"a judicious system of roads constructed
Tor the convenience of commerce and
the transportation of the mail would, by
consolidating our Union and increasing
our wealth and fiscal capacity, add
greatly to our resources"
We have progressed through the days
Of the turnpikes, tollgates and the So
called corduroy roads," made Of small
logs. We have had our Wilderness
road" which Daniel Boone hewed out
from North Carolina to the heart of
the Kentucky country, over which the
grandparents Of Abraham Lincoln made
their tortuous way Westward. We still
have.g lorified--the famous National
road" which was started from Cumber-
land, Nd, in 1908. It took 8 Presi-
dents, 10 Congresses and IA govern
mental acts to get that road even as
Tar as Wheeling, w. Va, about 1856 miles.
But over this old roadbed, improved by
modern roadbuilding methods, hum
dreds OF thousands Of tourists are now
riding annually into the Nations Cap
ital
That, DR.. Klein emphasizes. was one
OF the hrst roots OF that far-fiunR
growth OF highways over which our
sturdy forefathers fought their way to
that remote Western coast, which a now
50 happily and closely linked with the
rest Of the country.
For the last decade the average sx-
penoiture for roads In this country have
mounted above . billion dollars every
year. We now have more than 5000.
VVO miles OF public roads over which
some 27,0O0yO00 motor cars are now Y,,r1-
ming for the business progreSS. and reo-
reattonal betterment OF all the citizens
LIE good roads are there-the touring
season Is at hand--the American neonle
are motor minded-they~a are becoming
closer neighbors to those who live afarg
me automobile Is making US all know
How living in the National Capital
ahoer the Capitol dome, inspires youth
VIII zeal Tor service is proved in the
person OF Representative Merlin HrH of
SLACK River Falls. Wis, who during his
7nfsC term In Congress has stood out for
ms activity in behalf OF beneficial Iegis-
latlon Tor the Capital City.
Hull is now q lawyer and publisher
as Wen rs Member OF Congress-. He
was In the State Legislature FOR many
years, served as Speaker and was sec
[etaTy OF state. But as q young Jour
neyman printer he came here TO wash
lpgton 10 work for Uncle Sam I'm the
Government Printing Once while nIro
suing his studies to become A LAWYER
ne worked In Uncle Sans world,s
largest print shop for some seven wears
when Frank Palmer of Iowa was the
Public Printer. -4. = =. ''-'
And his old friends in the G. p. O.
remember the little red-headed printer
VINO mas come back to be one Of their
pest friends in the Congress. At
reunion TINS Spring Representative Hull
more than 80 years ago, and each week
that passes he meets up with some
otners In happy gatherings.
representative Hull accepted MEM
Dershlp on the House District commit
tee, which handles legislation for the
National Capital as an inherited duty
In appreciation of his real start here
toward success in life and because he
grew TO love the city, and so his service
on this legislative committee has been
q real labor of love.
He promptly took leadership In the
night against the so-called 'loan-s shark"
Dill, which sought to legali1e an in
terest rate of az per cent on small
loans to the poor in need who are least
able to pay such rates-and ne defeated
the bill, which he dubbed q "shylock"
measure.
With appreciation Of the struggles
to get along by Government employees
endeaVoring to bring up their families
give every child all the advantages
possible for securing an education, Rep
fesentative Hull has been one of the
outstanding supporters of legislation
Tor reduced rate of street car fare
Tor school children. He opposed the
street car merger proposal until 1t was
oeIeated In committee, because he be-
ieVed the concessions to outside own
ership too many and believed that the
resident people, most of them in Uncle
sans service, should get some coun-
terbalancing benefits. He made 1t
plain that ne was not opposing the
Public Utilities Commission in its eff
forts, but insisting that II there Is to
be merger 1t must be without addi-
tlonal expense to the people Of the
District.
Since leaving Washington 80 years
ago Representative Hull has been pub
fishing q weekly farm paper in Black
River Falls, and in Congress he has
not neglected the interests of his con-
stituents and subscribers, for his big
night In Congress has been to obtain
adequate protection for the dairy
products Of his district-and he voted
against the tarin bill.