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Show Erosion Costing U. S. 500.000 Acres Annually The importance of soil con-, servation is stressed by Dr.; Hugh H. Bennett, chief of the U S. Soil Conservation Service, who estimates the good land in the United States at 450,000,000 acres, with all but 100,000,000 acres subject to ,erosion. Dr. Bennett points out that the nation is losing, for practical cultivation, the equivalent of around 500,000 acres of productive produc-tive land every year. He says that 100,000,000 acres, or about one-fourth one-fourth of the crop land, are losing los-ing soil so rapidly that, immediate immed-iate protection is needed. Most pf this acreage should be treated by 1960, he asserts, to prevent serious ser-ious or irreparable damage. In addition, Dr. Bennett says another 100,000,000 acres are eroding so rapidly that much of it will be permanently damaged by 1970 unless adequately treated treat-ed for conservation. While the treatment of land will cost some money, the conservation expert warns that if it is not done, the damage to the country will be greater. Super-Highways To Connect Major Cities The super network of interstate inter-state highv.'ays, designed by the Public Roais Administration, seems to center largely upon traffic traf-fic between maji' cities in the United States. Many Americans will remember remem-ber the discussion of a national super - highway system, some years ago. This did not materialize material-ize and the possibility is that the present elaborate scheme of highway development will come about as a gradual process. We are inclined to believe that it would be a mistake for the States and the Federal Government Govern-ment to spend enormous sums to eliminate cross-traffic and grades within the large cities. Inter-state travel can be facilitated, facili-tated, it seems to us, to a greater degree by the construction of highways that will bypass metropolitan met-ropolitan areas. In the explanation of the system, sys-tem, given out in Washington, one reads that the system will "by-pass smaller cities and lead as nearly as possible into and through the busy hearts of each metropolis." This is, it seems to us, a mistake. The effect would be to funnel all transportation into crowded metropolitan areas rather than to divert through-traffic through-traffic around congested cities. There is another - thing,- we think, that the Government should take into consideration in planning an elaborate system of national, trunk highways. Already, Al-ready, industry is largely concentrated con-centrated in certain industrial areas. The new highways should facilitate fa-cilitate the location and develop ment of industry in scattered I areas throughout the United I States. This will hardly b(j done by bypassing smaller cities or by a system of highway construction con-struction that gives all the advantages ad-vantages to existing metropolitan metropoli-tan areas. The 37,681-mile projected system sys-tem of express roads will serve forty-two State capitals and 182 of the 199 cHies having a population popu-lation of 50,000 or more. It will concentrate on North-South and East-West highways but we suppose sup-pose there will be some highways high-ways which crisscross the natiqn in a diagonal direction. 3,600 Miles On Horseback CLEVELAND Three ex-GI's Glen Selby, 20; William Waress, 23; and Austin Lemon, 26, recently re-cently embarked on a 3,600-mile 3,600-mile trek' which they hoped would lead them to Miles City, Montana and back. In addition to sightseeing, they hope to test the performance of their Western saddle horses. Their mounts were weighed before they left and will be weighed again on their return. |