There are six stages in the development of a great national trunkline. FIRST IS PROMOTION: This involves the scouting and fixing of a route that can be really made a first-class, continuous road from sea to sea. This Old Spanish Trail cost heart-breaking scouting thru primitive country where many sections had neither roads nor paths. Practical routes had to be found, and engineering problems, the willingness and capacity of the people to co-operate and build, and the political and local conditions in eight states and nearly two hundred cities, towns and counties had to be wrestled with. It took seven years of promotional work before the Old Spanish Trail was in a position where its construction as an unbroken highway was assured. SECOND IS CONSTRUCTION: We have 2830 miles to bring to a point where travel will be possible at all times. In this second stage the highway may still have some narrow sections, sharp turns, blind curves, narrow bridges and dangerous railroad crossings and an undesirable surface, but to get it open for travel is the primary thought. The Old Spanish Trail is now in this stage—in another year it will be comfortably travelled from St. Augustine to San Diego. In two years busses and service cars will connect Florida and California. THIRD IS CITY STREET IMPROVEMENT: The federal and state officials do not control construction in the city and town limits, and city officials are invariably slow working out a satisfactory way thru their streets. Suburban streets are often narrow and crooked, the products of short-sighte subdivision work. We have made very little headway in this third stage of work. Invariably the way thru the city or town is crooked and the roadbed is roug FOURTH IS AN ORGANIZED TRAVEL DEPARTMENT: A highway is like a railroad—it must be advertised. Travel comforts must be fostered, auto camps provided, country hotels and restaurants improved, and travel information gathered, edited, printed and distributed. We are in the midst of this work. It is a far bigger task than we realized. If any of you try today to get information to carry you pleasantly over any considerable portion of the Old Spanish Trail or other highways you will realize how much this travel information is needed, and how much careful marking is needed. Old Spanish Trail cars have travelled many thousands of miles gathering information for national distribution and to bring travel into the Old Spanish Trail country. FIFTH IS RE-CONSTRUCTION: The widening of narrow sections, putting new bridges where old ones were allowed to remain, lengthening curves, removing sharp turns and railroad crossings, and improving the surface. Accidents are happening at these places, people are being killed. The highway departments, however, are doing all they can. This re-construction work is another big task. It will involve years and many millions of dollars. SIXTH IS ROADSIDE BEAUTIFICATION: The women of the Old Spanish Trail are already undertaking this. At the New Orleans convention in 1923 they planned the work, but this, too, is a mighty task. At San Antonio the women have had over 16 truck loads of advertising signs removed. The state maintenance engineers and the county officials are co-operating. Making the roadside horrible with advertising signs is becoming unpopular. Laws must be passed to help in this work. The women also plan to encourage ornamental entrances and nice fences, they will mark county and state