Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-23
House OF Representatives,
Washington, ID. c.,
A.~&l 90 I0fI

LOS hnStitS E1AdfIiuCEt
Los Angeles, Cal.
Dear Sir:
LNOR a number of years i have
l. observed that you have adj
vocated many national building
projects and developments. Per-
haps the one that appeals to me
the most Is the development of a
transcOntinental or super-high-
way system for the nation.
For the last five years have
laid before Congress a tentative
program that calls for three
main highways across the United
States from ocean TO. ocean and
six running north and south.
You will recall that in 1906
Thomas jefferson asked Con-
gress to appropriate $4,000 to
start work on what was known
as the old National Pike running
from Baltimore to st. Louis via
Cumberland, UniOntOwn and CO.
lumbus.
IT FOLLOWED that each sue
L ceeding year from 1906 to
1916 ngress appropriated
money to maintain and extend
that road. In 1847 President Polk
vetoed the measure.
This nations building pro-
cedure should have been started
years ago and completed. Such
system would cost approx
mateIy $4,000, 200. 900 for some
10000 miles of road. If we had
these roads today our national
defense setup would he one-half
stronger than 1t Is, because 1t
would he more flexible.
am attaching hereto exhibits
ABB" and &c" from the Con-
gressional Record together with
some other data and infOrma-
ton.
II, i'm your good judgment,
you. with your system of news
papers. would join with me and
get behind movement TO build
these roads, I am sure II would
20 down In history as another
monument to the services rem
dered your nation.
Hoping to have the pleasure
of meeting you personally and
talking over the matter, i am,
Yours very truly,
j. BUELL. SNYDER, VI. g.,
cath District, Pennsylvania.
EDITORS NOTE: The ex-
IL hibitS referred TO in the fore
going letter from Congressman
Snyder include texts of speeches
he delivered in the House Of
/ Representatives in introducing
and reintroducing his superhigh-
! way program bills in the Seven
/ ty- fifth Seventy sixth an d
/ SeVenty-seventh Congresses, OK
planning the proposed project
and presenting factual argu-
ments why it should be conSum-
mated. Following are excerpts
from his speech on that subject
on Feb. 2, 1887:
+ among the problems that will
always confront the people of
the United States are the prob
lens OF (A) transportation. OBJ
unemployment, Co national de-
tense.
1T is believed by many OF our
best engineers and staunchest
nation-builders that we can. in
/ a large measure, solve the three
problems mentioned above, or at
! least do our constructive part
In initiating the solving of these
/ problems. by building a national
system OF highways -.
III we will stop to consider
+ what we have accomplished in
the last 25 years In the building
i of streets and highways, l feel
sure you will agree with me that
I'm a quarter of a century from
now we will have a system of
highways superior to the one
am recommending today. I might
say that our road building prob
lem in the nation Is just In its
infancy.
SEVERY year we realize more
- fully that the federal gov
eminent and the states must CO.
operate both In planning and
financing n system of highways
that will be adequate TO take
care of the transportation of our
commodities.
As l said, the states have
done much and the nation has
done much In the last 25 years,
but much of IL has been piece
meal. Different counties and diff
ferent states went ahead and
built roads during the last quar-
ter of n century without taking
into consideration whether they
would dovetail into what their
neighbOring county was building
or what their neighboring state
was building.
II suggest that we build these
highways to last for hundreds
of years, like the Appian Way
In Italy. or the thOusahd-mile
boulevard built by England in
farther India 800 years ago. BY
the way. these two roads are
just as solid today as they were
when they were built and there
+ Is no reason why our govern
ment should not build highways
at this time that will last not
& anIx, for hundraHS nf wears hut