The Detroit times., 1910-10-14
WANT U.S.. TO JOIN
ROADS CONGRESS
Delegates To Brussels Meeting Urge
This Country To Become Affiliated
With International Association.
(Frors a special correspondsnt.)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-Howard
Longstreth, who was delegate OF
the American Automobile association
to the recent International Road Con-
gress at Brussels, Is one OF the eight
American delegates who have joined
In petition TO Secretary Wilson, of
the department OF agriculture, request
ing that his department consider the
advisability OF the United States gov
eminent becoming member OF the
Permanent International Association
OF Road Congresses. The Office OF
public roads is a part OF the depart
ment OF agriculture. and for this rea-
son the matter was put up to the Sec
rotary.
The special significance OF the pc.
tition Is that IL discloses the fact that
the United States, which has the
most extensive system OF roads OF any
country In the world, has been one OF
the three slowest nations TO join the
International Roads association now
formally adhered to by &c govern
ments. Italy and England are the only
other large countries which hive not
joined. and IL Is PROBABLE that one or
both OF these governments will have
approved the plan before next years
meeting or the International Road
Congress. The association was found
ed In 1908. and its work Is similar to
that OF the permanent international
Bureau OF Navigation, of which the
United States government Is q MEN,
Der, and to which congress last year
appropriated $4,000 outside of the an
nual dues of $1,000, 10 be used next
year when the annual meeting OF the
association will be held In this coun-
try. The highest annual dues paid
by any government now a member OF
the International Association of Road
Congresses is $4,000. The dues OF the
organization vary in accordance with
the ability OF the governments TO pay.
Membership is the association en-
titles a government to be represented
on the international commission by
one member for each two hundred
dollars OF annual dues. This commits
sion controls all the activities OF the
congress. The association has an in
ternational laboratory for tests and a
library, and gathers, digests and dis
tributes informtion concerning the
problems of modern highway engineer
ing. The American delegates to the
International Congress at Brussels
tie first week of last August agreed
that 1t would be highly desirable that
this government be represented on
the International Permanent Commits
sion, which advantage can only be Sc
cured by the United States becoming
a member OF the International Assoc
cfatiCf: They are still hopeful that
II will be possible to bring the next
international Congress to the Unitec
States, but this cannot be done until
the government officially manifests an
interest In the association and be-
comes a member. The signers of the
petition say that the influence that
would come from a direct connection
with the work of the commission
would result not only in the saving OF
time and expense by the avoidance
OF the duplication of tests in the
future. but in the great advantage or
collaboration with the road builders
and administrators of the other 26
governments in the association
The nations of Europe have gone a
long way ahead of the United States
In road work, particularly In the mat
ter of administration and road main
tenance, and experts say that for this
reason this country will benefit i'm
mensely In the advantage OF collabora-
ton made possible by membership in
the International Congress. France.
for instance, with its almost perfect
system of roads. sends one and one
third times as much freight over her
public highways as is carried by the
railroads. The freight traffic on the
roads Of other European countries Is