produce a far greater value in road construction than it will in the Federal field. Again recognizing that this legislation carries no recognition of the township road system but gives overriding attention to the Interstate System which we suspect has been strongly influenced by commercial interests interested in long haul transportation. We would call to your attention that all highways must serve local as well as interstate traffic and should be given equal consideration. We, very frankly, feel that this equal consideration has been lacking at the Federal level. We are opposed to that part of this legislation which earmarks the Federal 2 cent gasoline tax for Federal budgetary requirements for road bonds. We again recommend the repeal of this tax and its assumption at the State level. We see a real danger in the creation of the Highway Corporation in this legislation. It will greatly expand Federal power and authority and in the highway field at least it will be a start of the complete assumption of control by the Federal Government over the State and local governments. This is a blow at the fundamental principle of our Government that the foundation of democracy is at the local level and we respectfully call the attention of your committee to this angle of the picture. There is a serious question involved in the carrying out of the program as contemplated under this legislation. It contemplates an extensive system of limited access highways and from our standpoint and experience the destruction of property value and the very definite lessening of taxable valuation in many cases becomes a serious problem to our township units of government. I would call to your attention the situation where a limited access highway will replace what is presently a main through highway. We have here the actual destruction of assessable and taxable value by reason of the condemnation of valuable ground for the limited access highway itself. We have this damage compounded by the lessening of value on the existing through highway with its many services already constructed underway and with a tangible tax return to the local unit of government. We also want to call to the attention that this corporation that would construct these interstate highways at the Federal level has no conrols whatever over their authority to condemn, close and relocate intersecting roads and we have already found this to be quite a problem in some of our States in the matter of limited access highway construction. In summary we recognize the need and importance of more, many more, improved highways in this Nation. We do not believe that the methods outlined in the present legislation are the proper methods of achieving this result. We recommend the repeal of the 2-cent Federal gas tax and its reimposition by the respective States. We recommend a continuation of the present Federal-aid law on the present matching basis in which the State and local governments do have a slight say and in this connection, recommend more consideration be given to the townshiproad systems of this Nation which are the farm to market roads and as stated above of great importance to the economy of this Nation. These recommendations would result in the retention of State controls, the stopping of the greatly increased Federal bureaucracy which is becoming a real danger to our Government. The stabilization of the financial situation of the Federal Government, the saving of billions of dollars in interest and the even distribution of road revenue over the future years to meet changing conditions in our highway systems. Senator GORE. Do you think we should consider our transportation, our highway problem, as a whole? Mr. THOMSON. We feel that local roads are a part of our whole highway system of this Nation and a very important part, sir. Senator GORE. Do you think we should give consideration to them during the next 30 years and not concentrate all our effort on the Interstate System? Mr. THOMSON. I think the Interstate System naturally deserves primary consideration, but certainly the local rural roads, being an integral and important part of the economic situation, deserve some consideration. Senator GORE. Those roads are quite important to the people who use them, aren't they? Mr. THOMSON. Very important. The most important road to any man in this Nation is the road in front of his own house. Senator GORE. Senator McNamara? Senator MCNAMARA. I have no questions. I think that is a rather punchy conclusion, Mr. Chairman. Senator GORE. It is one which is understood by men who have to seek public office by votes of the people. Thank you very much, Mr. Thomson. This will conclude the hearing until after the Easter recess. After the recess the chairman will undertake to arrange a trip by the subcommittee and then conclude with 1 week's hearings. The dates of both will be announced later. (Whereupon, at 10: 46 a. m., the hearing was concluded.) 61030-55 -53 NATIONAL HIGHWAY PROGRAM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1955 UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10:20 a. m., in room 412, Senate Office Building, Senator Albert Gore (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senators Gore, Symington, Thurmond, Martin, Case, and Bush. Also present: Senators Millikin, Watkins, Bennett, and Allott; Representatives Aspinall, Chenoweth, and Rogers. Senator GORE. The committee will come to order. The committee is pleased to have the former Senator and now Gov. Ed Johnson before us. It is also pleased to have present Senator Watkins, Senator Allott, Senator Millikin, and Senator Bennett, and Congressmen Rogers, Aspinall, and Chenoweth. Governor Johnson, the committee will be pleased to hear you. STATEMENT OF HON. ED JOHNSON, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO Governor JOHNSON. Our Senators, Senator Millikin and Senator Bennett, have to be in the Finance Committee at 10:30. I hope that you can hear them first. And Senator Allott, from Colorado, has a committee that he has to attend presently. I do not know whether Senator Watkins has any pressure on him or not. Senator WATKINS. I am willing to wait until the Governor of Colorado has made his statement. Governor JOHNSON. If you will hear Senator Millikin and Senator Bennett first, please? Senator GORE. Senator Millikin? Senator MILLIKIN. I would be happy to yield to Governor Johnson, to hear what he has to say. Governor JOHNSON. Senator Bennett? STATEMENT OF HON. WALLACE F. BENNETT, A UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF UTAH Senator BENNETT. I appreciate the concern of the former distinguished member of the Finance Committee for the problems of the Finance Committee this morning, and I would appreciate a chance to make a short statement and then report to my other duties. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to appear before this distinguished committee to urge that a direct highway between Denver and Salt Lake City be first on the Federal Interstate Highway System. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 authorized a special network of highways not to exceed 40,000 miles in length, which are considered to be the most important in the national interest. The act provides that the interstate highways be so located so as— to connect by routes as direct as practicable the principal metropolitan areas, cities, and industrial centers to serve national defense, and to connect at suitable border points with routes of continental importance in the Dominion of Canada and the Republic of Mexico. That is the end of the quotation from the act. Yet the two principal metropolitan areas in the intermountain country, between the Midwest and California, which are Denver and Salt Lake City, are not now connected by such an Interstate Highway. The present system joins 42 State capital cities and 90 percent of all cities over 50,000 population. However, the capital cities of Colorado and Utah are not joined directly by the Interstate System and the population of both of them is now well over 200,000. An Interstate Highway between Denver and Salt Lake City would be of incalculable value to the Nation's defense. The cities are economic capitals of their regions and a direct route on the Interstate System would be of great benefit to the Nation. Such a highway would serve an area which is of critical importance to our defense area, the uranium and mineral-rich Colorado Plateau to which joins these two States. To get from Denver to Salt Lake on the present Interstate System requires a diversion either up into Wyoming or down into New Mexico. Present highways between Denver and Salt Lake City are manifestly inadequate for modern driving conditions. They are winding, narrow, and usually closed in the winter. The economy of the mountain West and the defense of the Nation would be greatly enhanced by a new direct route between Denver and Salt Lake City on the Interstate System. I intend to join in cosponsoring a bill which I understand will be introduced in the Senate today, and undoubtedly referred to this distinguished committee. The bill would provide for such an interstate highway between our two capital cities with a route to be determined by the engineers of the two States in cooperation with the Bureau of Public Roads. I appreciate the opportunity to appear today because the chairman of our State Highway Commission of Utah is on your schedule for an appearance later on this morning. I appreciate the chance to have my testimony appear with his. Governor Johnson, I appreciate your courtesy in making it possible for me to make this brief statement and to go on to my additional responsibilities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator GORE. Thank you, Senator Bennett. Governor JOHNSON. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if Senator Allott could make a statement now? Senator ALLOTT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to defer to Governor Johnson. I made arrangements to be late, so I will just be late. |