The Rice belt journal., 1919-06-07

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture)
If all the automobiles in this coun-
try stood evenly distributed over all
the roads Of this country there would
be five motOrcars to every two miles
Of road. And there are 2,547, 1884 miles
Of public road.
If every motorcar in the United
States were loaded to it's limit with
people, half the population Of the Uni
ted States could be hauled at one
load. And there are about 100000
people In this country.
Getting down to boot heels and btu
lithic-just to avoid the vulgar phrase
of bedrock and brass tacks-about 81
per cent Of all the motor vehicles in
the world are on the roads of the Uni
ted States. By estimate, there were
100000 automobiles in the world on
January 1, 1919. By actual count, g.
1867 Of these were in the United
States. Those motor vehicles paid, in
license and other fees, $51 AT, ,416.
And this Is exclusive Of the 100000
motor vehicles manufactured for the
government.
Each one Of those six million one
hundred and odd thousand motorcars,
when 1t runs On unimproved roads,
pays about twice as much for tires and
about twice as much for gasoline as
when it runs on surfaced roads. And
there are about eight times as many
miles Of unimproved as of improved
public roads in the United States. To
be specific, the public roads in the
United States measure 2,457, 1874 miles,
Of which only 296,290 miles, or about
Il per cent, are surfaced. The rest are
earth roads.
Half Billion for Roads.
Are the owners Of those six million
and odd automobiles interested In the
federal aid road-building program for
1919? 1t is the most stupendous road
building program In the history Of the
world.
Expenditures for road construction
this year are likely to reach $500, ,OOO,-
600, according to the estimates Of the
United States department Of agricul'
ture, the government agency charged
with the administration Of the federal
aid road act. Practically all states
are planning a continuous system OF
connecting highways throughout each
state, and there Is more general
disposition than was ever manifested
before toward cooperation among
neighboring states so that improved
roads will not terminate at state lines
Congress, shortly before adjourn
ment, made an extra appropriation OF
$209,O00,000 in the post office appro-
priatiOn bill to meet the federal part
of the program. Officials of the bureau
of public roads, United States depart
ment of agriculture, point out that this
is the largest appropriation ever made
by any government for similar pur'
pose, and that 1t will enable the fed
eral and state governments to carry
on road-building program Of a mag
nitude never approached in the history
of the world. This work, 1t is estt-
mated, will employ more than 1OO,OOC
men In active road work, in addition
to the men engaged in the production
and furnishing of road-building mate
rials. 1t affords one Of the large oppor'
tunities for profitable employment fol
returned soldiers and sailors.
Automobile Owners and Road Bonds
The program is continuing one
The recent federal appropriation is fol
three years. State, county and ioca
funds will come largely from bond
issues. And there is where the 6,0OO,
600 automobile owners ought to shine
with tremendous radiance.
Both sensible selfshness and plair
duty call upon the automobile owner
TO vote for road bonds. His tire anG
fuel costs, as before mentioned, are
cut in half by good roads. More i'm
portant still, If he be city man, aS
very large proportion of automobile
owners are, it brings what he eats tt
his door at less cost. Good roads have
always meant something in the way o1
reducing living costs, but they mear
more now that the motortruck ha'
come to stay-and to expand. On'
function Of the motortruck is to re
linna congestion in the neighhorhooC