The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-08-19

PUBLIC HIGHWAY
ONCE M0RETAKES
FRONT POSITION
Possibility of Another Period of
Transportation Congestion
B0Oms Roads
UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES
UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

Washington, D. c., Aug. 19.-The
possibility Of tnother period of trans
portation congestion is once more
bringing the public highway to the
front. -. ~. "
While it is admitted that the rail-
ways must necessarily. form the ma
TONS long distance transportation
lines, the auxiliary power of the pub
lie road, through the development of
the gasoline engine and the motor
vehicle, is receiving thoughtful atten'
tion in official circles.
Public discussion of high cost prob
lens and the railway situation ran
into the country road at two points
during the past few days. The tlrst
point touched was that the public
highway is a potential short haul
freight and express line, and tha,
with national system Of improved
roads, intersecting each state north
south, east and west, there will thus
be constructed the basis Of com
prehensive,' nationwide system OF
traffic arteries with which state and
county systems may connect. With
such system provided the develop
ment of freight and express transpor
tation is anticipated far beyond com
prehension. It's advocates assert tina;
the motor truck as it appears on the
public highway today IS but an infant
compared to what it will be, once the
public roads are built to permit Its
enlarged use.
Railways Criterion
Those who doubt the possibilities
of the highway freight and express az
factors in the reduction and stabiliz
ing of food costs are told to lool
back over the development Of the
railway and note that the beginning
was upon a basis far less promising
as practical proposition that thu
basis upon which the gasoline driver
vehicle stands today.
Dropping back to the point Of sAor
haul delivery, attention is being call
ed to the fact that the radius of high
way shipping is being gradually ex
tended as modern roads are being
built. Advocates of a national sys
TEN, the creation of which is provided
for in the Townsend bill now pending
in congress, have encountered the ar
gument that approximately fifty mile
is the maximum of motor delivery
Their answer is that while this ma.
be true, it is true only at the pres
ent time because of the illogical con
nections and the general condition o
the road.
Highway Development Essential
The same economic condition.
which forced railway development i
forcing national development of th'
public highway, and the advocates o
national highway assert that eacl
days discussion of the present eco
nomic situation produces additiona
reasons why the federal government
must get down to highway buildin,
on nation wide scale and in dea'
earnest. ,.
In a sense, the legislative mind a
Washington seems to be approaching
the present phase of economic prob
lens somewhat in a spirit of weari
ness. "Will we ever get anythinI
really finished" is a question whicl
seems to express their feelings, sine
so many problems, like the proverh
ial cat, kept coming back. -.
But one fact seems to be makin
itself very clear. and that is that sine
the public highway is the first la
between the producer and consumer
the logical place to begin cuttin
down living costs is by eliminatin
permanently the time consuming an
fuel wasting roads. To accomplis
this purpose the construction of ma
tional highway system as necessar
and logical connection with state an
county systems is being looked upo
with increased favor.