Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29
NATIONAL HIGHWAY
SYSTEM IS NEEDED
Roy D. Chaplin Declares
Growing Use of Auto Trans
portation Demands Plan.

That the growing use of the auto
mobile as a means Of highway trans
portation has made necessary a ma
tional highway system in addition to
state and county systems was the
Chaplin, former chairman of the high
ways transport committee of the
Council of National Defense.
Ten years ago." said Mr.. Chaplin,
"our road needs were purely local in
character. The cruising radius of the
horse drawn wagon was definitely de-
fined and road makers were able to
gauge their budgets in accordance with
local conditions. Such a procedure is
no longer possible if we are to IA
cilitate economical transportation
through adequate highways.
Cites Interstate Needs.
There still remains with us the
need of county highways as well as of
state systems. but in addition to those
needs we have that of rapidly grow
| ing interstate business. When it is
recalled that 100000 motor vehicles
were registered in our forty eight
states on January 1, 1919, it will be
seen at once that we are rapidly COM
ing to period when automobile
travel will be well nigh universal in
this country and no program which
considers the forty-eight states as
separate units can be deemed suf-
flcient.
Under the provisions Of the federal
aid act every step in the expenditure
of government funds rests in the
hands Of state officials or Of those In
civil subdivisions of the states. To
say that th-se men have under con-
sideration national needs would be to
TIT To hat toV in r.
Torrance of their duties, which re-
quire them to consider the needs OF
their respective states first.
Refers to Federal Aid.
How this worked out in actual
practice may be readily seen by an
analysis of the federal aid projects
to date, which shows that federal
aid has been scattered over num-
connected with any main system in
most cases, seldom connecting at
state boundaries and showing re-
markable lack of uniformity in the
types of surfacing employed.
1.-The result has been that. while
we have stretches of improved high
way in every state, that these have
been constructed, not with a view
to facilitating national transporta-
ton. but to caring for local needs.
"No one will deny that improved
roads wherever constructed are of
value, but this important fact must
always be borne in mind. The pres
ent federal aid act not only does not
consider interstate needs, but 1t, pro-
vides specifically that states smust
care for maintenance. The result Is
that the further the road program
is extended the more state funse
must be used for maintenance and
the less funds become available for
construction in partnership with the
government.
IF state funds are not used, then
the entire investment is wasted in
the course of few years.
Needs of P. o. Department.
aside from the needs Of the pri-
vate automobile user who Is con-
stantly crossing state lines in pur-
suit Of his business. there is the
need of the Post ONCE Department
to be considered, as well as that OF
the War Department.
the post office officials showing the
crying need of improved highways OF
a national character. while We had
glaring examples of the inefficiency
Of our highways for military uses
during the great war.
mo state department is equipped
to care for these needs first. The
road problem is SO large that they
have more than they can attend to
in intrastate hauling problems. A
national highway system such as that
provided for in the Townsend bill
is seriously needed, and not until
such a plan is in operation under
| federal highway commission will our
road program be fully rounded out"