Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-06-05
prepared by the United States Depart.
mani of AgripIltura

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
If all the automobiles in this coun
try stood evenly distributed over al
the roads of this country there would
be five motorcars to every two miles
of road. And there are 2,547,334 miles
Of public road.
If every motOrcar in the United
States were loaded to its 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 AZ, 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 it runs on unimproSed- rkss&sy-
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
II 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 $500,000,- !
900, 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 a 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
5000 100000 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 it will enable the fed
eral and state governments to carry
on BODYBUILDING program of mag
nitude never approached in the history
of the world. This work, it is est-
mated, will employ more than 100000
men in active road work, In addition
to the men engaged in the production
and furnishing of rOad-building mate
rals. 1t affords one of the large oppor-
tunities for profitable employment for
soldiers and sailors.
Owners and Road Bonds. 4,
The program is continuing one.
The recent federal appropriation Is for
three years. State, county and local {
funds will come largely from bond
ssues. And there is where the 6O00,-
l00 automobile owners ought to shine L
With tremendous radiance.
Both sensible selfishness and plain
luty call upon the automobile owner e
o vote for road bonds. His tire and .
uel costs, as before mentioned, are
ut in half by good roads. More i'm
,oTtant still, If he be city man, as I
very large proportion of automobile d
,wners are, it brings what he eats to
lis door at less cost. Good roads have
lways meant something In the wax of c
educlng living costs, but they nj an 8
more now that the motortruck las
Gme to stay-and to expand. ne
JUNCTION Of the m0tortruck Is I'd re- &