The Spectator

STATE HIGHWAY
MAY BE SECURED

W. B. OWENS DENIES REPORT ARKANSAS HAS LOST FIGHT FOR THE JEFFERSON ROUTE.

LARGE DELEGATION PRESENT

Claims Arkansas Route Is 400 Miles Shorter Than Oklahoma and Texas Route-Enthusiasts Represented Every Western County.

Little Rock.

Reports from Kansas City that Arkansas lost the Jefferson highway at the convention of the Jefferson Highway Association were erroneous, according to W. B. Owen, chairman of the State Highways Commission, and Hugh Carter, state highway engineer, who returned from the convention.

"After the meeting had completed all but routine business the 100 Arkansas delegates fought for and obtained recognition," Mr. Owen said. "It was decided that if Arkansas can have her part of the road built in a year, the official route shall come through the state. If the Oklahoma and Texas people fail to have their road completed in two years, and the Arkansas road has not been completed in one year, the official route is to be through Arkansas. If Arkansas fails to complete her road in a year and the Oklahoma and Texas complete their road in the two years, Arkansas will still have one route of the road, known as the scenic route."

"The convention also adopted a resolution favoring the Arkansas scenic route for the highway. The Arkansas route is 400 miles shorter than the Oklahoma and Texas route, and we have no doubt it will be the more popular, even if it should not be designated the official route. The Arkansas delegation was one of the largest at the convention. There were 100 enthusiasts there representing every western county. Early in the convention a resolution was adopted, over our protest, providing that Muskogee, Okla., and Dennison, Tex., be left on the official route and that they could not be taken from it. We fought against this resolution and finally succeeded in having it reconsidered and so amended that Arkansas will have a chance to get the official route."