The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-19

Washington, ID, c., July 16.--One Of
the most colossal bodybuilding pro-
grams ever undertaken in any country
Is to be carried out in the United States
during the next three years. II 10 estt-
mated that by 1891 close to 81 900, 900. 900
will have been spent for good roads in
this country. OF this huge sum, $275,-
000,0 has been appropriated by con-
gress as federal aid In road construc-
ton.
In addition TO giving direct financial
assistance, the federal government Is
also encouraging the Improvement OF
highways by distributing to the various
states some 10000 motor trucks used
by the army during the war. These
trucks are to be turned over to the
highway commissioners of the states.
and are to be used only for road build
ing purposes.
to 1916--the federal government did
practically nothing, to aid or abet In
developing and improving highways. ~
1916 congress voted s75.000.000 for fed
eral highway aid on the fifty fifty basis
with the states, but on account OF the
war much of the road work .contem-
plated at that time was held In abey-
| ance. Now there Is a revival OF Inter-
est on the part OF the national govern
ment in better roads, which finds ex-
| preston through the medium OF the
bureau of public roads.
The Al st and only national highway
constructed by the government was the
old, historic Cumberland road. The
work on that turnpike was begun under
President Jefferson and continued under
Monroe. Beginning at Cumberland,
Md, the road ran through Maryland.
Pennsylvania, what is now West Vir-
ginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois st.
Louis was the objective point. but rail-
roads came into use before the compile
ton of the project and the road stopped
short somewhere in Illinois; The old
| Cumberland road was to have been
used to open up traffic between the east
and west, and 1t was planned in such
a way as to have direct communica-
ton with the Atlantic ocean. The
scheme was to use the stage coach for
transportation from western points 10
Cumberland. then Nthe Chesapeake and
Ohio canal. which is still In operation
from Cumberland to Washington, con-
Meeting with the Potomac river to the
ocean. So does it appear that the I'M
folding of time quite upset this elab-
orately worked out government project.
Cumberland Trail.
Although the Cumberland trail fell
into disuse for time after railroads
began to link UP the east with the west,
the greater portion of 1t has been i'm
proved within recent years by the vari-
Gus states through which 1T runs. Many
of the old pioneers who went west In
Tie curly phlbA5Ol bhC iiitiVtNNhth SOAA
fury Travelled by stage coach over this
early ribbon of good roads.
The need of good roads is becoming
more and more obvious with the in
crease in the use of motor vehicles.
Ten years ago the highways Of this
country were subjected to traffic
scarcely different from that which they
had borne in revolutionary days. The
past decade has witnessed tremendous
change in highway transportation. The
motor vehicle is responsible for this
revolution in conveyance, and to 1t is
due new stress upon the 100000 or
more miles of roads in the United
States
Motor Vehicles.
Today there are said to be about
| $500, 900 motor vehicles in use in this
country. OF this number 1t Is esti-
mated that 500 600 are commercial cars,
ranging from light delivery wagons to
heavy trucks.
Allowing an average of 5000 miles per
year for each of the 5000. 900 remaining
passenger cars, and assuming an aver
age of three passengers to-, a car. the
result will show total of 5000, 000, 900
passenger miles travelled during the
year This figure exceeds that for the
railways of the United States for the
year OF 1916, which was $4,000, 900, 900
| passenger miles. So are automobiles