Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-06
ROADS OF THE FUTURE
All Agree That Country Is in
Need of Good Highways
Completion OF Trunk Lines VIII
stimulate Both Passenger and
Freight Trafflc-Must he
Built for Heavy Trucks

Washington. u. c., May 1.-There are
many indications that the next few years
will see in the United States one of the
greatest roadbuilding cpochs even seen
anywhere. Most of the presidential
candidates seem to have spoken In favor
of fine national system OF roads, that
being a thing that 1t is perfectly safe
to endorse, and one that can be made
to appeal to any audience. If it is some
organization of militants and imperialists
that the candidate is addressing. then
roads are necessary for military reasons;
the farmers are to be the great bcnefici-
aries IL they are listening; while tho
ultimate consumer is assured that the
products of the country will flow to his
very door In an urceasing stream when
there are good truck roads. The manufac-
turer knows that tho growth of the great
auto industry and all its innumerable
accessory industries is dependent upon
good roads.
Here Is something that all can agree
about, and certainly 1t Isl true that the
road-building in this country nearly ell
remains to be done. We have good ma
cadam roads in many parts of tho United
States. but they are not adequate IN two
ways. In the first place they 90 not
join to form the great trunk lines from
one part of the country to another which
are tho essential framework of a good
national roads system and in the second
place. they are not built we'll enough
to stand the strain of the great and
growing heavy traffic. This fact Is fully
realized by T. RI. Macdonald. chief of
the United States Bureau of Public
Roads, who states that our whole ma
tonal road system must be rebuilt with
the heavy truck especially in mind.
LOCATE TRUNK SYSTEMS
Mr.. Macdonald says that the first
thing to be done is to make a survey of
the roads of the country, determining
just what traffic goes over each class Of
road. and fixing standards of construc-
ton for each class. 1t is generally agreed
that trunk system of paved roads Is
the only thing which. in the long run,
will serve the purpose. Such roads, made
of fitted stones. will be expensive to
build in the first place. but not nearly
so expensive to keep up, once they are
built. Every highly organized civilization
has found such a system of paved roads
a necessity. from Rome on down. The
western European nations. being small.
found it a comparatively easy task to
build adequate road systems. but In an
enormous country like the United States,
it is another matter.
There was little interest in roads in
this country for long time. 1t was
assumed that the railroads were all-suffi-
Gent The automobile brought the
first impetus to road building. and now
the heavy truck has brought a still great
er one. For it has been discovered that
the railroad does not displace the high
way. even for heavy freighting, just as
it has been discovered that the railroad
cannot economically be allowed to dis
place the canal and river traffic. Real
economy and efficiency are gained by CO.
Ordinating all of these means of trans
port. letting each function In its prop
err sphere.
The War Department has given a push
to bodybuilding operations this spring
by turning over some 1900 motor
vehicles built for war purposes to the
various State road departments for use
in road building. At present the States
are not given title to this equipment, and
it can be used only on roads which are
being built in part by federal aid, but
this is expected to be remedied by legis-
lation. The State will then be able to
turn over some of the equipment to the
counties.
ROADS STIMULATE TRAFFIC
The completion Of trunk lines between
East and West and North and South will
perhaps stimulate passenger traffic by
highway almost as much as 1t will slim
ulate freight traffic. For the number of
persons who travel from one part of the
country to another by motor vehicle is
undoubtedly increasing at great rate.
And this touring" is no longer solely
the sport of rich men that it used to
be. For example, if you hire a jitney in
Miami, Florida, in January you are sur
prised to learn that the driver of it Is a
native of some place in Connecticut.
He has come South with his wife and
several children ever year for five
years. returning North in the summer.
BY following the travel crowds, both he
and his wife are easily able to get re-
munerative work and at the same time
to escape the extremes Of heat and cold
and see something of the world. Nor
are such perpatetic families ut all rare
a strong evidence OF the Increase of the
anto-nomad Of modest means is the great
boom which is going forward lust now
in auto-camping equipment. A great
number of devices have been put or the
market by which a nivver may be con-
vertcd in few moments into a sleeping
chamber. whilo outfits. stoves and other
household paraphernalia for tho mo;orist
are also available. These devices are
at a great rate and agencies
for them are sp-inging up everywhere.
American ingenuity is really applying IT.
self 20 the task of converting the auto
mobile into a complete home, at least
in warm weather. With rents rising the
way~they are. II is no wonder that even
poor men find II expedient to take to the
road and live like Arabs wherever they
can find room to pitch n tent II YOU
think this class of modern nomads is a
myth. go to Florida in the winter or the
Rockies in the summer, and you will sec
them by the roadside everywhere. And
a very happy healthy lot they look, too.
WE ARE WANDERLUSTERS
After all. Americans are all sprung
from a wandering. pioneering stock, and
most of us are not without
laundering TO take the road. and
see what is somewhere else. Then. too, |
here is so much seasonal work in the |
United States that the man who is able |
10 go where he pleases can make money |
more easily than the one who has to stay |,
m certain place
The Individual who seems to be losing I
1ut in this great development of high |
ways and highway travel IS the horse, |
As the good roads advance. he retreats. |
Until couple of years ago 1t was often |
pointed out that despite the great in
,rease in the use OF motor vehicles, |
horses were just as numerous In this
,ouptrv as ever but this is no lonpar