Show 71 GOOD ROADS NATIONAL ISSUE Congress mian borland of missouri says say it Is one of biggest ques tlona facing people ot of tho the addresses given at al abo recent federal aid convention in washington called by the national good roads board none contained a more comprehensive 0 hen sive sivo summing up of the situation than the remarks of bopre representative william P borland of missouri who among other things said 1 I believe that the good road question to Is the biggest question I 1 wl without phout exception now facing the american people in congress we are trying earnestly and sincerely to deal with this problem of the extent and character of federal control and fe federal deral aid to good roads there are difficulties confronting us some of us believe in a continuous system of roads roada roads that go somewhere roads that give u us is te the benefit of them the scientific progress of engineering skill that has been developed in connection with road building we be aleve that federal ala aid if it comes at all and it must come must mean a better roads long roads roads of higher class roads of a more permanent character roads that go SOMO somewhere roads that mean something in th the development of the country 1 I want io say to you frankly that tart the easiest proposition to get through any legislative body to Is not a proposition that really means betterment but a proposition that distributes its little advantages as widely as possible if we could take a little f federal money or a good deal of federal money or of as aa much federal money as we could lay our hands on whatever the amount might be and spread it out over every road district in the united states and but it in the hands of the existing road overseers for the existing system of roads and not ask anything in return we could got get the greatest applause and the most tremendous unanimity of opinion back of it that any legislative proposition could possibly get there is no doubt about that dut but here Is the idea that must occur to every thinking nan man we do not have to improve the miles ol of highways in the tha united states that need not stagger any mans tion experience has shown at the very threshold of this subject that 90 pendent per pen cent of the traffic on roads goes over less than ton ten per cent of tin the roads if wo we had a system of good roads leading fairly into every section of the country within tho the reasonable rea reach ch of the majority of the citizens and producers and tax payers of the country that system would be a vast advantage over the present system ol of isolated local control of highways it if we can bring that about by a spirit of self sacrifice and operation cooperation co not n necessarily with any stubbornness or pride of opinion but if we can get together on the idea that it Is better to have some good roads than it le ie ils is to have no good roads then wo we will all get behind tome come proposition and accomplish something for good roads and it is going to lake that spirit ol of operation cooperation co and self belt sacrifice to brins bring about legislation |