Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-04

MoroRIzrNG TIE HIGHWAYS.

MoToRIzING THE HIGHWAYS.
From the point of view OF The tax
payer who has to pay for tho building
and upkcep OF the roads Of The state
the following extract from an address
given before the annual meeting Of
the United states Chamber OF Com
merce at Atlantic city last week by an
omciaI Of one of the large companies
manufacturing automobile tires, IS of
particular interest:
The railroads are essential 70 the
COUNTRY and # is doubtful IL they will
ever be replaced by any other means
or transportation. 1t is possible. how
ever. TO make the railroads more
effective by building up their auSil-
aaries. the most important of which is
the motor truck.
Al present there are about 100000
motor trucks in the country. Thoy
arc a~ffording u tremendous amount or
relief TO the railroads but nothing in
comparison 10 what could he done
with a greater number.
Before we can hav the needed
number of motor trucks we must
rnild good roads. IL our various states
will build the improved highways
needed, it Is certain they will be
motorized.
The motor truck then will be able
10 fill the all-important niche in he
carriage of tho worlds products which
it is capable OF filing"
There is no doubt ut all about the
roads being motorized as fast as the
state improves them, but the burden
of improving them md keeping them
improved is getting beyond the tax
payers ability to pay. Tho people
cannot be expected 10 maintain the
right Of way for innumerable freight
lines which charge the public exhor-
bltant rates to transport goods.
It costs $40 Il day Of eight hours to
hire a motor truck and all the time
they arc using tho highways built at
public expense and maintained by the
p%aIQic. while the truck owners pay but
q nominal license fec annually. These
trucks with their heavy loads wear
out the roads faster han the people
can repair them. This IS especially
true during the winter months when
the wear and tear on the improved
roads. mainly by the heavy I
freight lines that try to maintain SER
vice all year, dig deep holes In he
surface by constantly running in the
same ruts, and gouge out great
stretches of pavement as soon as the
frost begins to work.
1t is true, as the speaker whom we
have already quoted. said, that motor
trucks are indispensable in short dis
lance hauling. He mentioned the fact
that In England trucks carry al
freight within a radius Of less than
twenty-five miles of many of the NOR
important cities, But it is unfair Il
make the taxpayers maintain the RICH
sf way for all this freight hauling
ahe taxpayers do not maintain th'
yielit Of way for the railroads in haul
ing freight. then why should tn
public be expected TO maintain th'
soadbed for the motor freight lines
Motor trucks are going to inoreas
In number and they are going to carr,
more and more freight. not only l
short hauls. but in long distance haul
ms well. This being the case 1t ]
time to plan definitely for this He'
method of freight handling.
one solution would be a specis
road for trucking alone, built c
granite block or concrete with steC
plates firmly secured for the wheel
to track IN. These roads should b
built and maintained at the ezpens
of The truck-owners for whose sol
benefit they are constructed. either b
q toll or q direct tax.
There Is no desire to stop heav
trucking by automobile. but there
an increasing demand hat the expens
OF maintaining roads for these truck
be lifted from the great mass of ta'
payers and placed pom those who al
directly benefited.
UP TO THE PEOPLE.