The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-09-12
ROAD BUILDING 4
NATIONAL need
Serious Condition Confr0nts u. S.
Unless More Highway Engi-
neers Are Developed.
SEC. LANE TAKES ACTION.
Will Call Conference of University and
College Representatives to Discuss
Matter - Phenomenal Expan-
sion of Transport Arteries.
SEC. LANE TAKES ACTION.

tOn.-COmmentlng upon the
report that Secretary Lane of the De-
partment of Interior will shortly call
Il national conference on highway en-
gineering construction in colleges and
universities, Arthur Fl. Blanchard,
professor of Highway Engineering at
the University Of Michigan, says:
"Highway officials, progressive edu-
Gators and many prominent business
men realize that a serious condition
will confront the United States and
Canada if graduates Of our technical
schools are not properly trained in
highway engineering The phenomenal
development Of highway transport has
created a demand for efficient highway
Improvement which can only be sat
isied by placing highway work in the
hands of competent engineers.
Thoroughly trained and expert
enced highway engineers are needed
to occupy the innumerable positions
connected with the administration, fl
nancing, design, construction and
maintenance Of the 2,50O,O00 miles of
rural highways and the thousands of
miles of streets in the municipalities
Of the United States and Canada in
order that highways may efficiently
serve economic, social, transportation,
agricultural, industrial, commercial
and military requirements. Highway
appropriations will increase rapidly
during the next five years as is indi-
Gated by the 1919 appropriations of
$5OOO00,00O in the United States and
a relatively large amount in Canada,
for highway improvements and a
widespread demand for the construc-
ton of a system of $4,000 miles OF
national highways by the United States
government under the direction of Il
National Highway Commission.
Estimates made this year by the
United States Bureau of Public Roads
disclosed q remarkable field of Oppor-
tunity for highway engineers, as in
vestigation showed that for federal and
state highway work alone exclusive Of
cities, counties and towns, there are
required 122 chief executives and ad-
ministrators, $50 division engineers of
the federal government, division chiefs
Of bureau, division chiefs of highway
departments. district engineers of
highway departments, ETC.; $3.50 su-
pervising engineers and chiefs of party
and $3.50 junior engineers, rodmen,
chainmen, craftsmen and others Of
similar caliber.
Of Of
nent highway engineers and educators
is to the effect that highway engineers
should have the broad foundation
which the four-year course in civil en-
gineering gives. The Asphalt Associa
ton takes the definite stand that as
much time should be given to the es-
sentials of highway engineers as is
given to sanitary, hydraulic or rail-
road engineering. The association will
devote its educational campaign espe-
cially to institutions where either no
courses or very short courses in high
way engineering are given. The As
phalt Association has found that only
% of the 93 colleges investigated give
satisfactory. fundamental training in
highway engineering as part of the
civil engineering course.
"The waste of millions, of dollars
annually in the United States will con-
tinue until the profession of highway
engineering is placed on the same
basis as structural, hydraulic, sanitary
and other branches of civil engineer
ing England and France have seen
the light. AS a result, efficient high
way engineers are retained in Office
methods of construction and mainte-
nance suitable for traffic requirements
are employed and as a consequence
the public funds are wisely and eco
nomically expended"
Professor Blanchard will cooperate
with the engineers Of the Asphalt AS
sociation in developing a plan with
colleges and universities under which
highway engineering courses of in
struction receives increased attention.