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cost of this comprehensive system of highways, for
taxpayers have learned to have more confidence in
getting some real return for their investment when
estimates are large enough to offer some hope of the
successful completion of a given undertaking. If we
accept 5000 miles as an estimate for an adequate
system of highways, we may also assume that the
cost will
approximate $150,000,000 which could Avell
be distributed over a period of 10 or 20
years.
I believe that the taxpayers of this State are able
and willing to finance the undertaking necessary
to
place this State on a more solid basis for the future
development of its resources.
In substantiation of
my statement, please permit
me to quote you some figures wh'ch show the almost
uirimited wealth of this great State:
Last year (1919), we are told, the agricultural
products of the State amounted to $750,000,000, this
in spite of the fact that we have over 20,000,000
acres in the State that are not
being used for any
purpose.
In 1917 the
output of our manufacturing indus-
tries amounted to $655,000,000, and during the past
year undoubtedly increased to well over a billion.
The output of lumber, cordwood and other wood
products amounted to well over $100,000,000.
Our banking resources for 1918 were $222,000,000.
Our deposits in savings banks in 1918, $61,000,000.
We paid the Federal Government last
year, in
income, excess profits and special taxes, $102,812,648.
Our State has now an investment of approximate-
ly $130,000,000 in motor vehicles, including automo-
biles and trucks, which is being added to at the rate
of $130,000 a day. Few of these types of vehicle
are confining their activities to the roads of any one
township or county, but are users of inter-county or
State highways.
To relieve railroad congestion and for many other
reasons the State and Federal government should go
into the business of road building on a big scale. The
United States Government should build the great
trunk line highways through the States, and the
States should build from county-seat to county-seat,
thus leaving the counties to build their local systems
which will serve as feeders to these main arteries of
commerce. Counties should not be expected to par-
ticipate in the construction of the State system. Lo-
cal county roads are a necessary adjunct to the large
trunk line State highways, and if counties will build
their 45.000 miles of local roads, it is enough to ask
of them. To be of
greatest service to the farmer, and
through him to the State, the State highways must be
made available by a system of high-class county
roads. The counties are not able to build both sys-
tems.
Annual Meeting American Engineering
Societies
The
Annual Convention of the American
Society
of Civil
Engineers held in
Portland, Oregon,
August 10, 1920, adopted resolutions which provided,
—“that the Board of Direction of the American
Society of Civil Engineers be directed to submit at
once the
question of the American
Society of Civil
Engineers becoming a charter member of The Feder-
ated American Engineering Societies to referendum
vote to the Corporate membership of the American
Society of Civil Engineers as recommended by the
Joint Conference Committee, said ballot to be ac-
companied by a copy of the Constitution and By-
Laws of said Federation.” and “that the Board of
Direction of the American Society of Civil Engineers
be further instructed in event of a favorable vote
on said referendum to
proceed at once to take such
steps as may be
necessary for the American Society
of Civil Eng'neers to become affiliated with said
Federation. ”
Lessons From Engineering Council.
Tn connection with The Federated American En-
gineering Societies, two questions have arisen:
1. “If Engineering Council is a success, why
should the proposed Federation supplant
it?” and
2. “If Engineering Council is a failure, why
should the Federation be organized along
lines so nearly parallel?
These are basic questions and worthy of the
serious consideration
they have received not only
from the Joint Conference Committee when it was
preparing
:
ts report but also from the Committee on
Constitution and By-Laws of the Washington Organi-
zation Conference.
When the Joint Conference Comittee, composed
of conferees of four of the then five members-Socie-
ties of Engineering Council, considered the question
of co-operat:on of these societies in matters of com-
mon concern to the
engineer, the functions and ac-
complishments of Engineering Council naturally
came under review. There were present as con-
ferees, three members of Engineering Council; by in-
vitation of the Committee, Council also had an offi-
c:al
representative present.
The Committee decided that some form of com-
20 October, 1920.
TH E CO N C RET E AGE

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