Evening star., 1914-04-26

MOTOR-DR|VEN VEHICLE
GREAT ECONOMIC FACTOR
President Wilson of the A. A. A.
Comments on Its Steadily
Growing Use.

III Adam Smith. the great Scotch
economist, who set forth SO concisely the
interdependence of the town dwell and
the farmer. could only return to life to-
day he would join with US in hailing the
motor-driven vehicle as wonderful
economic factor in effectively welding to-
gether the means Of communication be-
tween community and country"
President John A. Wilson of the Ameri-
can Automobile Association has included
will make to the meeting of the executive
board. to be held in Buffa:o, April 20,
upon his return from the ocean-to-ocean
visiting trip to the associations state and
local clubs. Commenting further. the
head of the national body of motor-car
owners will say:
In encoura sing and making it possible
for people to leave centers OF population
and live comfortably in the country. the
automobile has been the missing neces-
sity. as has been made apparent by the
quickly insistent manner in which it has
come into its own. This introduction Of
new vehicle on the highways has
brought with it the demand for essential
changes in road construction and main
tenance. in the character of laws gov
erning traffic movement and in the prep
aration and dissemination of Information
for the wider range Of motor car use.
Travel Now Interstate.
With horse-drawn vehicles travel was
local. Motor-driven trans
port of men and merchandise Is not only
but interstate as well, for
it must be remembered that the geo.
graphical location OF our most important
cities has comparatively little to do with
state lines.
After a trip across the country, which
has included talks and conferences with
officers and directors Of A. A A. clubs,
can hardly fail to note the pronounced
enthusiasm Of men who are laboring for
all those things which tend to accelerate
the use of the vehicle that now enters
into every progressive phase Of human
existence.
''In every state visited found the same
demand for highways improvement the
reaching out from market places to out
lying farms, and the more healthful re-
lationship in the earnest cooperation be-
tween communities, town and country,
and noticeably in the greater understand
needs.
Question of Federal Aid.
When it comes to the question Of
federal aid in roads betternent,; it may
be true that the western states will more
thoroughly appreciate that which will
come from the central source. but the
eastern commonwealth must keep in
mind the plainly apparent fact that the
grea test quantity CT 1.-The country's food
stuffs must come from the prairie states
of the section beyond the Mississippi.
While I am purpoksN placing it as a
secondary matter. it is entirely right that
those states which possess scenic attrac-
tions second to nothing found in Eu-
rope should be assisted in making these
assets collectabie. for it is entirely too
true that many of our well-to-do people
spend their lengthy vacations in foreign
countries. when they have near at hand.
but. unfortunately, inaccessible. equally
attractive health-giving resorts within the
confines of their own country. A tour
which would embrace Yellows stone, Glacier
Park, the Yosemite valley and the Grand
Canyon could not be duplicated in Euro
pean countries, and have only mentioned
a few Of the best known of our national
recreation places. Let US not alone pro-
vide for our material needs, but at the
same time avail ourselves of natures
manifold treasures"