220 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



as education. We have long recognized the necessity for supporting 

 the educational system out of general funds of various kinds and 

 general taxes. We should use general funds much more extensively 

 in the conservation field. I will say something more about that in a 

 moment. 



We made a tragic mistake here in the Congress when the 

 law was passed authorizing construction of the Interstate Com- 

 merce and Defense Highway System. The Congress should 

 have required that all the interchanges across this Nation on this 

 magnificient highway system be zoned. We are going to have 

 several thousand interchanges along this highway and half, if not 

 more, are going to be ugly slums with taverns, honky tonks, and 

 unsightly developments all across the country. Ours is a limited- 

 access system which, of course, permits no business of any kind 

 on the highways. So each interchange is an economic asset that 

 attracts development. 



We did not require the zoning of those interchanges. This 

 was a tragic mistake which we will regret for all time to come. 

 While I think easements are an important device to use in pre- 

 serving scenic beauty, I think the zoning power of the State is 

 potentially more important. We have 10,000 miles of State high- 

 ways in our State. We made an attempt on two occasions in 

 our State to control the construction of billboards in areas of scenic 

 beauty along the State trunk highways. The proposal passed one 

 house of our legislature but was defeated in the other by the billboard 

 lobby. I would think it would be well worthwhile to persuade the 

 outdoor advertisers to join in support of a sound measure now that 

 the President has so dramatically called to our attention the damage 

 we are doing to the beauty of our country. 



I don't see exactly where hiking trails might fit into this panel dis- 

 cussion, but I think they do fit some place. I think we can provide 

 more opportunity for recreation with less money by the creation of 

 hiking and camping trails than by any other investment we can make. 

 We have a vast amount of public lands in some parts of our country; 

 we have 2 million acres in our State. I made a proposal last week 

 to a conference in Wisconsin for 3,000 miles of hiking trails in the 

 State which would put a chain of hiking trails along the shores of our 

 lakes and along rivers and through the public lands and the national 

 forests. This 3,000-mile trail system would put hiking and camping 



