Arizona republican., 1917-12-24
HOW SHALL THE
 WAR HIGHWAYS PREDETERMINED

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 Chambers of commerce, boards Of trade and local associations of man ufacturers throughout the country can be of material help in relieving trans portation congestion by furnishing to the highway departments of their re- spectiVe states data aS-the highways | which can be most useful as substi- tutes for congested railway routes. 1 This can be done by calling meetings of the traffic managers of the indus tries, and having them, through : committee, determine the public roads 1 whose maintenance and improvement i is most important.
 Such a procedure would be in con- formity with plans formulated by the American Association of State High way Officials at a meeting in Rich mond, Dec. 4, and now endorsed in ef- feet by the office of public roads. The plan provides for the preparation of program for the improvement and maintenance, in the order of their inn portance. of the highways which are of greatest economic value in the pres ent crisis. Should shortage of mater ials and labor require priority ruling on
  then be presented to the authorities at Washington as basis for nat-Snal ap- proval and authorization of work on the essential routes. Should no prior i ity ruling interfere, the plan would nevertheless insure to the committee 1 the expenditure of funds where it will | be of the greatest benefit to the indus 1 tries and people of the state.
 Concerning this subject, Engineering 1 News Record says:
 Evidently, if the information is to be secured at maximum speed it is nee essary to call upon those who are con- stantly dealing with transportation matters and who, therefore, are in formed regarding the relative conges- tion and importance of various routes. Manifestly, these are the traffic man. agers of the various industries and the railroads themselves, Before the war it would have been futile to ask the railroads to supply such information. Now, they eagerly welcome any agency which can help them out of their diff ficulties.
 To secure the help of the traffic managers of the industries, the cham bers of commerce, boards of trade and manufacturers associations through
 
 assistance. They are organized for work among the manufacturers of their respective communities and can at once secure immediate attention and , action. They have the organization machinery for just such work. More over, they are seeking opportunities tC serve the nation. The call of the state ! highway department would meet witt a steady response. A meeting of traf lie experts ill each sizable community 3 working through a committee selected l by themselves, could in a very shor ) time report back to the state highwa, departments the routes whose main l tenance or improvement can in tha p particular district be of greatest ser ? vice in relieving transportation diff 2 culties. We know of no other agenc, : which can mobilize for action S r quickly.
 Y More effective action from thes Q bodies, of course, will be secured i |. the state highway departments them Y selves present clearly, as basis fo
 the activities of the traffic experts . some fundamental ideas regardin = highway and motor-t truck traffic. For = tunately these were well brought ou at the Richmond convention and ar
  if heads of each state highway depart @ ment. Obviously, the highway is n best service for relatively short hauls-
 60 to so miles. 1t is most economic: Il when the trucks are loaded in both d l. 7ections. Here again the interest 10 chambers of commerce and manufaC st turers associations will be of vel ;- great value, because they are in a DC
 sitlon to establish such committees
 bcseaus as will insure loaded traff
 both ways. What that traffic will
 will depend, of course. on local cond
 tions. In one case finished produc
 will be carried out, and raw materia
 in. In other cases industrial traffic one direction will be supplemented A foodstuffs in another.
 In any event, the initiative al ' brains that will be brought together
 the commercial associations in mobi izing the traffic information in the T. respective centers will not only pr sn duce the information needed to mi ai 9% out highway war program for t S district, but will result as well in idle la for conducting highway transport wi ts the greatest economy.
 be We, therefore, commend to the co sa sideration of the various state highw rs. departments the plan of calling up ,st the dominant comercial bodies in | te. eities of their respective states for 2 ed sistance in gathering the data for { is highway war plan. That they will ps ceive a prompt and effective respor lis is certain.
 of As regards the very important m; lte ter of maintenance it may be moi he that the state highway departmel
 may obtain assistance from the st, 'o- councils of defense, which have be to asked to look after the maintenance es, routes to the seaboard and to keep in Lincoln Highway open.