The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-03
ROAD BUILDING
NOW WORLDWIDE
European Countries Are Now
Building Highways-U. s.
Is to Lead World.
BY cHAs. S. HAYDEN,
(Staff CoFrespondentl

WASHINGTON, Sept. s. (Spl)-The
program for highway improvement, now
IN full swing in many of the states,
Is by no means confined TO this coun-
Try. In TACT, by comparison, the plans
in contemplation in some OF the Euro
pean countries are far more ambitious
even than those Of the United States.
This is due to the fact that their area
Is eircumscribed and the total mileage
Of their roads is so much less than in
this country.
The amount set aside by congress for
road work in this country. between now
and 1921, is $275. 600, 600. This has been
apportioned so as to make part Of II
available for the Improvement of ., $780,
600 miles of rural highways. Reports
received by the department OF labor
show that France is concentrating a
fund Of sl52, 0QO,0O on her 65, 900 miles
OF national highways. Most Of these
already have been improved and the
strictly rural roads are to he built and
cared for bS the departments and sub
departments so as to link them up with
the national high system. The Eng
fish government has set aside $50, 000,-
600 for the improvement Of $50, 900
miles Of roadwaYs m as much more
will be appropriated out Of the budgets
Of the shires and municipalities.
Other Countries Lead.
Figures prepared for the Joint con-
gressional committee on roads show
that where England has 2,571 miles OF
road for every square mile of area,
France LIS miles, the United States
has but 1893 Of a mile for each square
mile Of area. In turn, however, there
are los French citizens for zach mile
OF road, 239 Englishmen and only 4l.Sl
Americans to each mile. Upon this
basis II the United States had high
a N v4a F4 WpV.--IaIA. - H. a---N "a
would have twice as many miles as II
now possesses or three times II it were
TO equal the ratio to population ia Eng
land,
II has been long and generally known
that both France and England have
teen far ahead Of this country in the
matter Of hard surfaced roads. but be-
fore her entry into the war Prussia had
5000 niles Of such highways. To at
tain this relative proportion the United
States would have to haYe 1911 ,9il
miles Of hard-surfaced roadways. This
country has but $3.50 miles OF similar
highways.
But It is not only In Europe that
extensive road building projects are
10Y under way, Japan, which was long
indifferent to this problem, has awak-
ened to its advantages and has a corps
of investigators In his country and
in Europe with the understanding that
work soon will start on a comprehen-
sive system OF hard -surraced highways.
Even in China, according TO reports Of
the commercial attache AZ Pekin, there
r numerous road projects under way
and the same is true in several South
American countries,
Estimates which have been prepared
show that whereas In former days s.
e cen Of the forestry funds expended
on road building went for labor thai.
under present costs labor's share Will
be close to SIS per cent, Figures also
have been submitted showing that u
there were an annual sum of 500, 00O, 900
available for road building for a period
Of 1915 years II would be possible TO
construct $4,000 miles Of hard surfaced
roads and that this system would d.
rectly serve 46 per cent OF all the
ties while IL per cent would be ada
cent to the system,