SCENIC ROADS AND PARKWAYS 227 



landmarks tour made by the First Lady. She focused a tremendous 

 amount of attention on the national parkways, and the interstate 

 system and the very fine roadside rest job that is being done in 

 Virginia. 



Perhaps, Mrs. Johnson, you might wish to invite the wives of the 

 governors of all the States to conduct similar tours. This could be 

 a very, very effective thing throughout the country. 



Mrs. REYNOLDS. Dr. Levin, in your opinion, to what extent are 

 most of our highway engineers well equipped to deal with the 

 aesthetics of highway design and conservation principles? 



Dr. LEVIN. I think, through the years, the highway engineer 

 has shown a definite capacity for growth, I might say, Mrs. 

 Reynolds. I mean that very seriously. If you knew as I do some 

 of the boys who have been associated with the Federal Aid High- 

 way program, I think you will agree. 



Thirty years ago we couldn't spend any money in the urban areas. 

 There was a prohibition in the law which said you could not spend 

 any money on the highway that had houses closer than 200 feet. 

 Accordingly, the highway departments were building highways in 

 rural areas. All of a sudden, Congress, in recognition of the trend 

 toward urbanization, changed the signals and changed the law. All 

 of a sudden the rural State highway departments found themselves 

 literally overnight in the urban highway business. Actually, at that 

 time, they knew very little about the urban area. They knew a great 

 deal about engineering on the highway but problems in the cities are 

 quite different. So through the years, and I say this very sincerely, the 

 highway engineer has rolled with the punches. I am confident that if 

 they are given the opportunity to do so, and the money and the au- 

 thorization, they will respond to the call. 



Mrs. REYNOLDS. May I add just one word to that? In all fair- 

 ness, I want to underline what you have said. In ever so many cases 

 we find that where the highway engineers are being called the bad 

 boys and all the anathemas are being directed at them, actually they 

 are only following out the directive that the legislature has laid 

 out for them. 



NATHANIEL O WINGS. I would like to address myself to the general 

 idea behind this whole problem underscored by scenic roads. 



First, I have not heard anything about anybody giving anybody 

 anything. I think the good old-fashioned idea of somebody giving 



