The sun., 1919-04-27
GOOD ROADS WIN
MANY SUPPORTERS
Motor. Truck Causes Sceptical
to Realize Improved High
ways Are Necessity.
ny &c. A. WILLIAMS, JR..

4 President Of the Gartord Motor Truck
Company.
! \ The pubiic's conception Of good
toads'' has undergone a radical change
n the last two years.
Prior to the entry of the United
States into the world war the non-mo-
toriug American public. more often than
not, thought good roads were advocated
chiefly for the benefit Of their more for
tuiSate neishbors who owned and drove
their own motor cars. They were in
c!ined TO regard good roads laws as class
legislation and were unwilling for the
most part to lend either financial or NOR
nj support to the construction and up
keep OF something from which they do
rived no direct benefits so far as they
could see.
That conception no longer exists. Uni
verssal recognition of the motor trucks
value as q means OF transportation.
demonstrated under the stress of war;
has brought about n change.
Tho war merely hastoned what lead
erS of the industry had foreseen for SOW
cral years; II furnished the setting and
tho conditions which enabled the truck
% establish itaels as a factor In tho eco
noraic life Of the country. Undor nor
NAL conditions its recognition and gen.
crnl adoption wodld have Seen more
gradual but none the less convincing.
The ncn-mctoring public TO longer
looks upon good roads as "speedways"
for the motoring "aristocracy." 1t has
come to realize that motor trucks are
essential as transportation factors and
that good roads are necessary TO the
efficient operation OF trucks. It's vision
has been broadened: II sees the ad-
vartages and benefits which accrue from
combination of these factors--bene-
IT. - H..
the economic conditions Of the COM
munity.
II sees the farm brought. one might
say, to the very table of the con-
sumner; II sees an ultimate decrease
in food prices. and those who pause
to consider the matter further see the
ever expanding range of possibilities OF
the truck and it's ally, good roads.
throughout the industrial and COM
rnercial world.
With the universal recognition and
adoption Of the motor truck the public's
conception Of how roads should be built
also has undergone a change. Hereto
fore there has been n vast difference
between the average mans idea OF good
roads and that OF the experienced engi-
neer. The average man was content
to build for the present; the engineer,
as the result Of past and not altogether
satisfactory experience, knows and has
known the importance of building for
the future as we'll as the present.
The first thing railroad does after
obtaining a right Of way. as every one
knows, is to build a roadbed and lay
tracks. That roadbed Is put in to stay.
The track. which corresponds to the
surface of the highway. is built of the
most substantial and practical material
to be had.
The railroad officials. however. do not
expect this froadbed and track to last
forever without attention. Long ago
they learned that the only way to as
sure safety and durability is to antici-
pate depreciation and make constant
repairs.
For this purpose they maintain crews
who are continually repairing and re-
constructing the roadbeds and replacing
tracks. From time to time flaws are
certain to Misrepresentation and ele-
ments over which man has no control
are responsible. These are quickly rem
extraordinarily the crews. which
always are on the lookout for such
breaks.
That is Just what we are coming to
in roadhuilding. For years II has been
customary for county engineers to di-