Evening journal., 1918-09-18
MOTOR TRANSPORT
increase PLANNED
Highway Committee Devils
ing Scheme for Intensive
Use of Roads
DELAWARE is
WELL ORGANIZED

WASHINGTON, Sept. is-The wartime
development Of the highways area CEN
tering on Philadelphia already has
reached such a point as to serve in
many respects as a pattern for other
sections OF the country, it was brought
out at a conference Of the regional
chairman of the highways transport
committee Of the Council Of National
Defense. The conference was called by
Roy d. Chaplin, chairman OF the com
mittee, to plan the marshaling of the
transport facilities Of the country for
the nations war program Of the coming
nine months.
The Pennsylvania region includes the
States OF Pennsylvania, Delaware, New
Jersey, Maryland. Virginia and the Dis
trict Of Columbia. More than $4,000
mOtOred vehicles operate on its high
ways. There are i5,i76,000 persons liv-
ing within its bOunraries, and the area
contains 225 cities of 800 and upward.
Twelve per cent. of its roads are sur
faced highways and there is a pOpula-
tion Of 6s2 for every mile of these sur
faced roads.
A.
Chiffon Company, Philadelphia, is the
regional chairman for this district and
is in Washington 10 attend the confer
ence His plan Of organization for the
five States and the District Of Columbia
under his direction contemplates
maximum strength of 3055 committee
men, all enlisted in the effort to in
tegrate the highways with the rail-
ways and waterways OF the country in
an efficient transportation system that
will increase food production, speed up.
the whole war program Of manufactur-
er, relieve the railways of shOrt-haul
traffic, clear railway terminals and con
serve the man power Of the country
In tonnage carried over the highways,
Philadelphia and Cleveland are the two
great highway centers OF the present
day. Both are alive with new and es-
tablished trucking concerns. Philadel-
phia has companies that have fleets
numbering scores Of trucks in the busi-
ness OF carrying Pennsylvania and New
Jersey farm and factory products 10
the New York market and bringing
back finished materials. The develop
ment Of This carrying business is ben
citing New York more in the way Of
increasing food supply than it is Phil
adelphia at present.
What can be done by the rural ex-
press in the way Of supplying a citys
markets is demonstrated within the re-
gion for which Mr.. Musselman is chair
man. Baltimore receives daily by rural
express 100 tons Of food, a large pro-
portion Of which origin3ted with the
establishment OF the rural express with
in the last Line months.
York has gone farther than any
other Pennsylvania city with the in
tensive development Of another Of the
highways transport committees devices
the return loads bureau, which pro-
notes efficient, profitable operation of
vehicles and fullest Use Of the roads.
The transportation department OF the
York Chamber of Commerce has map
ped the roads Of its territory for truck
traffic and provides an active bureau
registration Of both shipments and car
riers.
Delaware has a strong organization I
of highways transport committee, with !
Fred w. Brady as chairman. In New I
jersey the whole State has been dis /
tricted and county organizations are
being built up. A meeting TO perfect /
the State plan will be held in Newark |
Friday.
Roy d. Chaplin, chairman Of the high |
ways transport committee Of the Nc I
tiOnal Council Of Defense, says he wants j
to see 100000 motor vehicles and 2,-1
100000 hOrsedrawn vehicles and $500 |
600 miles Of highway in America all /
being utilized under national direction /
and local control. to shoulder a tre-
mendous share Of the nations trans
port burden in the coming winter.