New-York tribune., 1909-01-17

Chairman Legislative Board Of the American Auto
mobile Associstion-
1t. now acknowledged by those who have given
thought TO the subject that automobilists are the
best friends OF the OF good roads. as well as
the most potent factor n the campaign to secure
-nem The construction and maintenance OF the
highways must keep pace with innovations in
methods Of travel The roads which were ade-
ouate fer the ox-cart and not adequate
for the horse shod with sharply pointed metal
shoes. drawing vehicles running upon narrow steel
shod wheels, for the newest means Of locono-
ton. the automobile. Such statements may at first
glance seem tre, but they not so, for all peo-l
pie have yet realized their truth. On the con-
trzry there are Ear too many who may be heard
to say that motor cars because they to wear
out the roads somewhat more rapidly than other
traffic should therefore be regulated off the roads
or made 70 pay for their construction and main
tenance
Illogical and unreasonable such contentious
seern they still being made. and their appaIent
fa4sity cannot be too frequently pointed out It
Is the duty OF the state maintain its roads in
such condition safely and comfortably carry
whatever veaicular traffic may come within the
purview Of the dedication OF the highways. II is
now too well established TO be controverted that
the use Of the highways by the motor car Is nat
1Iral. usual and proper use Of them The time is
rapidly coming when il will be substantially the
only Of them. It behooves the state, therefore
10 accommodate its avenues of traffic 70 this pre-
ponderating means of conveyance.
Is it fair. then. to say that because automobiles
seem TO wear the old-fashioned style of road more
rapidly than they worn before the introduc-
ton OF this means of locomotion therefore either
sutomobIes should Re ruled Of the roads or should
be made TO pay for the construction and ulainte-
nance Of them? II seems perfect nonsequitur.
The truth of the matter is that, if the highways
as at present constructed are not adequate TO
S,oiG
be altered and improved
What an empty thing II is for a park commits
sioner tc say. said the other day, that it
was a great cause OF complaint that whereas So.
900 had recently been spent upon the construction
Of g roadway in this city. the of the roadway
By automobiles had pretty nearly If not quite. de-
stroyed It! If what the commissioner says is true,
then the roadway not properly constructed to
bear modern traffic The point. in a word, is
that the roads must be so constructed as to meet
the trafc and not the traffic so restricted lin
had to meet the inadeQuacies of the roads
No such impetus has ever been given to the cause
ot good roads a has been given by the energetic
movement of all the autcmobists throughout the
country 10 this end. II has taken good deal Of
argument, great deal in the way Of education. and
q great deal il the way OF other hard work TO
overcome the inertia AMI apparent sefsatisfaction
OF soma Of the highway commissioners and other
authorities il various parts Of the country. But
this work has largely ncw been done The results
Of II are in the activities which in progress
sn various states bill for federal aid
before Congress.
Almost every locality in the country has felt the
stir, and before many years have passed We shall
have a system Of roads adequate 10 the means Of
xehicular travel employed. Invention should
not be stiAed progress checked TO preserve high
ways whose usefulness is past. Even the
ardent highway commissioner, intent only upon the
preservation Of his roads they have existed for
many years. will longer be suffered say that
automobiles. with their necessary equipment. should
be debarred in order TO his state or his
Inunitv the expense Of keeping the roads up rhe
times.
AS nation have been far behind other
tons in road building and maintenance. The time
had come. even before there any considerable
use Of motor cars, for e thorough overhauling OF
our highway system ard q thorough reconstruction
OF II The rapidly growing use Of motor cars has
simply aroused the authorities with a start TO a
realization OF the imperfections in our highways