Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-18
GOOD ROADS VITAL
IN RAILROAD
Famine and PestiIence Likely if
Trains Should Halt, Unless
Relieved by Highways
STATE OFFICIAL SPEAKS.
BU u stag Correspondent

Harrisburg, Pa, Oct. 1S.-If good
roads are not built at once in Pennsyl-
vania irrespective of cost, the common
wealth is ir imminent danger of deadly
famine and pcstilence.
This is the opinion OF Lewis $. Sad
Ter. state highway commissioner. who
last night entertained Philadelphia
newspapermen at his home in Carlisle.
Pa. The newspapermen, as guests of
the Highway Department, are on the
last lap of three dav tour of inspec-
tion over the roads of eastern Pennsyl-
vania. The party left here early today
for the return trip to Philadelphia.
I'VE. in this state. must be indie
pendant of the railroads for our trans
portation. said Mr.. Sadler. "There is
a certain element i'll our country that is
intent on crppling the railroads. and
that element may succeed in less time
than we think. perhaps within only Il
matter of months. When the railroads
are forced to cease functioning we must
have good roads for motor transporta
tion. And We haven't got them in this
state.
Warns of Dire Results
Without railroads to carry food to
such a city as. for instance, Pittsburgh.
babies would be dying there within five
day. adults would be starving in TWEEN
ty and horrible disease would rage in
the city within forty days. And the
same is true of Philadelphia and Scran
ton
There are 10000 miles of primary
do Ia, tpt. H. q fnt In
Importance because they connect the
larger cities and there are 100, 900 miles
of road of secondary Importance. Along
isolated stretches these roads are of a
high order. but for every mile of good
road there are five miles of very bad
roads.
THE highway department. with the
returns from the 500 COO 900 bond issue
recently voted to it. plans to complete
before the conclusion of the Sproul ad-
ministration approximately 1000 miles
of primary road These roads will fur.
nish continuous connections between all
important points of the commonwealth.
And the need for these roads is so
great that they must and will be built
in spite of the exorbitant cost. 1t is
a matter of state life or death.
"'rhc highway commission begs the
lHlfA'Nl anu Illfll VI Nh' 'N'
pie. With the primary roads completed
the state will turn IFS attention to see %
ondary and tertiary roads Within
fifteen years, and at cost of no less
than 5000 900 900. Pennsylvania. if its
peopl" only sense the dire necessity. Will
have perfect system Of highways net -
working the entire state.
Road of Twenty Sorts
The inspectiug party will visit today
the stretch Of experimental road that
is being constructed by the highway
commission east of Lancaster. Twenty
different kinds of road substances, rep
rescnting a variety of concrete mix
lures and processes. have been laid on
this test road. Engineers will daily OBJ
serve the effect of traffic on these
! twenty specimens of road. with view
toward perfecting a road of greatest
/ service
1 Yesterday the party motored from
Scranton, through bloomsbury, alonl
the SusQuehanna river, to Harrisburg
They inspected the thirty three mile
stretch of road known as the l.acka
wanna Trail now being constructed OF
the base Of the abandoned ID. l.. ant
/ W. tracks 1t begins just north o.
Scranton. This road when finished
will be, according to the highway com
missioner, the finest eighteen foot high
, way in the country