New-York tribune., 1912-02-08
MILLIONS FOR HIGHWAYS
Enormous Amount Of Money VIII
Be Spent During the Year.
CALIFORNIA MAY LEAD ALL
Department of Agriculture Fixes
Probable Outlay for Roads
at S140,500,000.

Not all the expenditures Of the next
twelve months for good roads throughout
the country have been definitely decideo
upon, but the amount is expected TO run
I'D to s140500,0o0. These are the approx
mate figures, according 20 the Bureau OF
Roads OF the Department OF Agriculture az
Washington. What the added mileage VIII
he no one knows, as this expenditure VIII
be not only for the construction or ne"
highways. but for the upkeep ana I'M
provement Of existing roads. In many
cases where automobile traffic Is heavy
maintenance IS as serious a factor, almost,
as construction.
california. it is likely, will outstrip New
York in the amount Of money expended
IN good roads this year. The estimate ID
sIS Ooo nO) for California, Sl2OOo,0OO for New
York. SlO.NOOoO for Colorado and S,5oo'VD
for Connecticut While no figures are given
for the other great road-bulldng states, II
Is probab BILE that Pennsylvania and Massa-
chusetts will be close 10 the top in outlay
toward this end Pennsylvania, in parucu-
lar is inst beginning an era Of road I'M
nrovenent that promises to place It's hlgh-
wavs on a par with those OF New YORK
and Massachusetts,.
Ior eoveral wears past California has
y
been doing magnificent work in the cause
of good roads. and that state possesses at
tho nresent time n network Of bouleVards
that nrobablv exceis the most elaborate
roads of any other part of the Cniteo
States Much of the work is being done
in the vicinity of Los Angeles, the play
ground Of the state, which year by year
draws large number OF Eastern Million
prOmOte
struction and improvement OF highways.
In the amount 10 be expended by the
State Of Colorado surprise will be ex-
pressed by many. This action is an out
growth of the nationwide agitation for
highway lmprovement that has been gain
ing momentum for some years. Colorado
is probably the most scenically beautiful or
all the states. and It has finally been rec
ognized that thousands of visitors can be
attracted annually IL the state can once
gain a reputation for the quality OF its
highways.
Eastern motorists who confne their tour
ing largely 10 the White Mountains are
hopeful that the various states embraced
in the ideal tour will spend some real
money on that magnificent route as soon
as weather conditions permit. This is not
all that its name implies, but there was
general complaint last fall regarding tho
deterioration of the extreme eastern sec
tons of the famous touring circuit.
Unless all the tour is placed in first class
condition there will undoubtedly be fall
ing off in the volume of traffic. Motorists,
unfortunately, have a habit of accepting
good roads as a matter Of course. Their re-
ports to fellow travellers. as a rule, have
TO do with the discomforts Of travel, and
for this reason the comparatively small
amount OF bad road on the tour is likely TO
adversely affect the entire fabric.
Norris Mason, manager OF the American
branch of Renault Freres in this city, has
received an order through the Boston repre-
sentatives of the company for 5000 horse
power eight-cylinder V-shaped aviation
motor, to be installed in a Burgess biplane
that is being constructed for the govern
ment by the Burgess Company. The motor
is 10 be OF the same type as that used by
Maurice Farman in the machines Used in
the French military trials. one OF the
guarantees required by the government in
placing the order is that the motor shall
be able 10 sustain the macnlne IN niSht
for a period of two hours Mr.. Mason mas
cabled the order TO the home company at
Bilancourt, France.
Forty-one cars of special type was ono
OF the record shipments Of the De Dion
Bouton Company. OF France, toward the
end of the year Just closed. They were
purchased by the Nizam of Hyderabad.
and were used by his guests during the
recent coronation durbar. Each car
seated sixteen persons. The bodies were
OF the conventional torpedo type. The cars
were fitted with four-cylinder motors, 4 2Ao
inches, and pneumatic tires 3oX5 inches