The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-05
POLITICIANS IGNORE
 SUBJECTS OF INTEREST
 TO AUTOMOBILE USERS

Only a few, if any, of the proLnin- ent candidates of the various politi- cal parties striving for supremacy at the polls in November have thus far sought the support of the great army of automobile users and have failed to recognize their influence with thou sands of voters throughout the coun- try About everything is mentioned in the party platforms excepting the hearts of autom obiIists, including i'm proved highways, the elimination of grade crossings and the need of uni form1ty in autOIn Obile laws and regu- lations, all of which have been per- sistently advocated by the Touring Club of America Not alone are these owners but they concern every other road user and especially the farmer who Is now one of the ardent adVO- cates of the automobile and is no 1ongre antagonistic to the movem ent for good roads. In every state where elections are to be held autom biliStS
 and road users are urged by the Tour ing Club to insist upon recognition from the various candidates as to their attitude on these mportant subjects;
 not only from those seeking legislative positions, but for every state office up to and including the Governorship. In
 several states the voters will be asked
 to approve bond issues for highway
 improvement running into many mil
 lions of dollars and certainly the of
 icia1s who are to be elected in No
 venber should give their assurances
 early Tn the campaign the great ar
 my of voters interested in automobil-
 ing, from the uSerS manufacturers
 and dealers standpoint as well out lining their plans for judiciously and
 i'm nprov em ments, if elected.
 In this connection a. statement re-
 gently made by Hon. John A. Ben
 sel, State Engineer and Surveyor of
 New York will be of interest to mo-
 torists, not only in New York but oth-
 erL. states. He argues that the ex-
 of h ara1@ +<@
 highway departn ents should be car ried on a function by itself, fires
 pective of it's effect upon occupants of and aspirants for public office.
 E'The development of the highways system throughout the State of New
 York should said MT: Bensef' be through new country, in which it would be directed by commissioners appointed from the various sections of the State. Their obligations should
 be to carry forward the building of good roads for the benefit of the whole state, totally without regard as to the effect of their work upon the particular political exigencies of the moment.
 The question of road building ac- cording to MT. Bensel, speaking as the thority, ''iS one of greater import ance to the people than any other question that confronts them at the present time. If there were no rail- roads in this State to-day and it were necessary to immediately provide a comprehensive system of steam lines, the importance of that situation would not be greater than is the pres ent demand upon people to prosecute and safeguard the laying out of ac- tual building of market roads and trunk lines in this State.
 There is, however, no more rail road building, but the new develop ment in freight carriers is along the line of automobile trucks which re- quire good roads for successful op- eration. Legislation should be promptly enacted to meet the irapera- tive needs of the people in this mat ter of market roads and to prevent 1 any deviation in the work of the department from the line 1 dictated by the clearly defined neces- sites of the various sections of the State"