The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-08-20
IN GOOD
ROADS EXTENDS
OVER COUNTRY
Good Road Movement Is Next Biggest
Interest In the United States to
Winning the War.

All over the United States the road
movement is being recognized as one
of the important factors to be con-
sidered in making plans to win the
war In the last issue of the Nations
Business published by the Chamber of
Commerce Of the United States OF
America the following very interest
ing article entitled, 1.-THE Road to Ber-
lin begins in America" is contributed
by the White Company of Cleveland,
Manufacturers of Motors trucks:
AS truck manufacturer in nation
wide contract with all phases of mo-
tor truck transportation, this COM
pany sees grave menace to the
American public through the lack of
we'll constructed roads. With the in
dustrial machinery of America har-
messed for war and depending upon
motor trucks for constant flow OF
materials, the failure to maintain ex-
listing roads, or to build them Of last
ing construction, delaying the move
ment of war supplies, is a national
peril equivalent to giving aid to the
enemy.
Wars ramifications reach every city
and hamlet. The peace road" of to-
day may become "war road" tomor-
row. 1t is imperative therefore that
we build permanent roads capable OF
standing heavy traffic and they must
be built from state line to state line to
connect all centers of production and
population.
War has added enormously to peace
traffic. Highways must relieve the
railroads and highways cannot unless
they are built to endure heavy truck
ing. Last winter, more factories
would have shut down for lack OF coal
large cities would have suffered from
food famine, and war exports would
have been retarded, II motor trucks
had not been able to operate from
country to city, from inland to sea
board. But, all of this assistance was
limited by the scarcity of good roads
The transport arteries of the nation
must be kept open. That is a war es-
sential. The 100000 motor trucks in
this country will not suffice unless
each renders the utmost service
Trucks must run faster; carry heav-
Ter loads and, wherever possible, re-
turn loads. They must consume less
fuel: they must use fewer men; they
must keep going performance
which are limited by road conditions.
This applies to machinery even
more than it does to men, because ma
chinery multiplies men. A wide ex-
pansion of truck service on our high
ways would release armies OF men
who could be better employed.
Permanent Roads, not temporary
repairs, are needed. We have two mil
lion miles of road and only one per
cent. of them are permanently i'm
proved. Think of It!
As far as money, men and material
can be had road condition should pro-
coed at top speed. What is done this
summer will help to feed our people
next winter and keep industry going.
Another very interesting article
bearing on good roads appears in the
same issue in the advertisement Of
the Bartlett Co., the Tarvia road
boosters, entitled "If German Air
planes were in the SKYE" 1t follows:
If German airplanes were in our
sky their first concern would be to
bomb our railroads and highways, for
they know that to tie up traffic is to
paralyze the country activities. Yet
our own carlessness is helping to ac-
complish for Germans what her air
feet cannot accomplish at present!
For every road that is muddy and
full of ruts and bumps and holes is
impeding traffic, wearing out horse
flesh, running motor vehicles and eff
fectively slowing up our progress.
Good royals are necessary to mobil-
ize the crops to make the farms eff
ficient to make the back country pro-
duce To mobilize the coal and ores
to open mines that have no rail con-
nections: To mobilize the manufac-
turers to keep them connected and
supplied, to bring away their noun
famous outputs when the railroads
are crooked: To mobilize labor to
bring the workers from distant homes
to new plants: To quicken the use
and speed the communication of a ma
ton that is still only half awake to the
war.
England and France have not post
poned or neglected road maintenance.
Efficient roads mean more to them
than ever. A short cut, a fiatter
grade, a contour that permits speed,
surface that permits heavy loads,
count for more today than they ever
did.
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