Show federal aid for highways there is genuine cause for alarm in the effort now being made by eastern states to force or persuade the government to discontinue federal aid tor for highways such a backward step in the program of road building and otherwise develop developing hl tile the count rys re sources would not only be damaging dania zing to the states which are relying on such aid but would be a shortsighted aal unprofitable move from the standpoint of the national government for generations it has been the he pol poi UY ily of the united states government to encourage and aid the development of nt resources to promote pi bogress pogress po ogress gress and to increase the wealth of the nation that it has been a profitable policy in every eory way an economist can testify asme aside from the general valna anz m the progress attained taxable wealth las been ure lre abed which has returned directly to 0 o the government far moe mo e than aia is ever invested by the government long ago the government aided aida and in more recent years with the advent of tile the motoring era the construction ct cf ilan ways has been fost fostered erod through federal aid equitably ipp irid uail li is 1 corrance cor dance with needs and with the road building programs of the states discontinuance of federal aid vou aoud d be exceedingly unprofitable tor for the country in general ige it would be unprofitable for those western states which are agitating the matter because they profit very definitely from any national development that brings an excess of taxable wealth so far as the western states are concerned the question is of more immediate concern because their road building programs are menaced it Is incumbent therefore upon the western st states ates in every way possible to otter offer united and aggressive gres sive defense of federal aid tor for highways and td lo make such buch a showing that the next congress will see the dangerous and unwise character of the agitation to discontinue national highway aid the states of 0 the west need only to be awakened to the gravity of 0 the st situation t liati oll they have a strong case to present and it should be a winning case cas e virtually all ot of the national forests and national parks ol of the gov ov havo have been taken by the government from the western states A large arge percentage of 0 the area ot of these states is now in federal reserves and in those areas the grazing lands timber water and power and minerals are unavailable tor for the use ot of these states As the national parks and forest reserves from recreation grounds tor for the people of the east as well as tor for the west and is these vast areas are inaccessible without adequate highways tho the western states are fully justified in their demand tor for federal aid in building such roads the united states realized a revenue of from the national forests of Cali california fornitt last year only one fourth of which is returned to the state for schools and roads again there Is an overwhelming weight of argument in favor ot of a continuance ti nuance of federal aid in the situation of the ille eleven western states with respect to road building programs it is virtually impossible for most of these states to maintain an adequate road building program and ot of meeting the constantly increasing demands ot of motor travel tra vel without the help of the federal government touring topics |