Page:Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways.pdf/6

 According to the resolution of the State highway officials, the representatives were to be officially connected with the respective State highway departments, and in consequence of this condition it subsequently became necessary to make changes in the membership as original appointees severed their connections with their State organizations. The changes and substitutions made were as follows:

Mr. Roy A. Klein, State Highway Engineer, Salem, Oregon. (to replace Mr. James Allen)

Mr. I. J. Moe, State Highway Commissioner, Valley City, North Dakota. (to replace Mr. O. A. Brown)

The action by the State highway officials was induced by conditions which had existed for several years in connection with the expanding program of highway construction, and which were becoming aggravated as sentiment in favor of road construction spread and the "building program assumed a more and more definite order and system. These conditions flowed from the well-intended efforts and the enthusiasm of local and commercial interests to secure the obviously desirable and necessary fruition of the road building program of the country. Numerous organizations, commonly known as trail associations, had promoted the marking of through routes, some extending entirely across the United States, some interstate in character and extending across two or more States, others of a more or less local significance only. In some cases the promotion of routes was done for the purpose of furthering road building by arousing, developing and maintaining local public opinion. Some were promoted more or less directly for commercial purposes, many were organized and maintained to promote and advertise some purely localized interests. Frequently the routes selected were chosen to develop scenic beauties, and had little thought of any other commercial value than that of leading tourists through particular sections of the country, and bringing to these sections the advantage of the tourist trade. Occasionally a route was laid out along very direct lines in an effort to secure the construction of a short and direct route between important centers of population. In a great many cases the routes were the result of an entirely selfish promotion to exploit good roads sentiment and provide salaries for paid officials of the various organizations.

These routes were named by their respective organizations after some person of distinction in the locality or in American history, for some place of greater or less note, or for memorial or sentimental reasons. Some undertook to perpetuate historic trails of early fame. In most cases some attempt