The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-26
DEFINITE PROGRAM
F Ftb|| BETTER BETTER R IIGGAADBsS
Value of Highways for Transportation
Fully Recognized in Conference
at Washington.
AFTER PLANS LAID.
Traffic by Trucks Has Increased
Enormously. In Ono Area Eqnnling
81 Yer Gent of That Carried ny
Railroads.

The following VS. authorized by the
Council OF National Defense
) definite program of specific use
~ the highways in support or poth
the war plan ard lhe reconstruction
ralic,- for post waTlin}es war tie
veiopcd by the highways transport
committee of The Council of National
Defense in a conference Of It's eleven
regional chairmen, representative OF
every section of the country hclo at
Washington. September Z TO 10, IN
elusive,
Recognition OF the highways value
az a transportation resource was
evidenced by the appearance before
the committee and its chairmen or
cabinet officers, members Of the ma
tjonul railroad administration, the
food administration. the War Indus
tries Board. the National Highways
Council. the Electric Railways War
Board, the army, and the United
States senate. President Wilson re-
ceived the conferees at the White
House on the conclusion of the SEES
sions
Every one of the governmental
agencies whose war work can be
effected by the full utilization of
highways transport proposed n close
co-operation between his own organi-
cation and the nation wide organiza-
zion which the highways transport
committee. under the direction of
Roy d. Chaplin. chairman, has
achieved in the last nine months. All
were glad to suggest means OF de-
veloping this coordination for
Americas common cause.
Herbert Hoover, federal food ad-
ministrator, warmly approved the
development of the rural express as
means for saving perishable food
: uns now produced for stimulating
production of more food, for lower
ing costs of living, and for conserv-
ing farming man power for the soil.
~ -.-t4e-r-r observed that SO PR cent
OF the perishables produced In
America are wasted, largely through
ineffective means of getting 1t to
market Fast, intimate service by
rural expresses, he forese es. will be a
great source OF saving. By the use
of motored expresses Mr.. Hoover
pointed out. the farmer need not
maintain SO many draft animals on
the farm, animals that eat the crops
of millions of fertile acres that other
Use could be devoted to raising food
for people. The failure of the public
market in America, Mr.. Hoover said.
was caused by inadequate transpor-
tation Of an intimate sort, and he be-
lieves that developed rural express
will give public markets q basis OF
economic success and tend toward
lower price levels,
Franklin X. Lane. secretary OF the
interior tied the highways develop
ment into his plan for putting mil
lions of returned soldiers and their
families on small farms carved by
the government from great areas of
public domain now either unused or
in need of reclamation.
Il can see the making OF a new
America" said Secretary Lane, "a
nation Of farming communities and
small industrial centers: for each will
have its own creamery, cannery and
other means of taking care of its sur
plus products. These farming com
munities viii be populated largely by
returned veterans. comrades in arms
comrades in peace, the material po-
li;icai and spiritual leaders of these
communities. These centers must be
developed and tied together and made
easy ~ access by good roads over
which the most efficient of transport
will move goods to market"
William c. Redheld. secretary OF
the interior, told the regional chair
men that he regarded highway. water
way and railway as a trinity OF
economic usefulness inca pabie OF
fullest function unless all factors OF
il were developed efficiently. He
/ pointed out that the perfection OF
the internal com bustion engine has
given both highways and waterways
a new tool---the motored vehicle on
the roads. the motored barge on the
1 rivers and canals. He remarked tina,
though the Hudson river were Dor
dered with three times the rail lines
| II has now. and its waters ploughed
! by all the ships it could carry, still
the farmer living inland Ave miles
from ii would fail to profit unless
given access to docks and depots by
rural expresses. Secretary Redfeld
said he regarded legislation to restrict
the size of motor trucks in order to
save the roads as menace TO de-
ivelopment of highways transport as
intolerable as IL would have been ia
hava cfarraA 1oocrp cf ix,, nm nj