Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-12
SOURCE OF FUNDS
| FOR new HIGHWAYS
Truck Maker Points Out That
Heavy Vehicles Have
Place in Program.

At time when the long-standing
national need for more and better
highways is being substantially met
by legislative appropriations in the
hundred million-dollar figures, it
seems appropriate to ask the question,
What has made this huge expendi-
ture possible and in what terms will
the dividends from the investment be
expressed?" 1t seems appropriate
further to consider what is the basic
idea behind this expenditure-who
pays for these highways. for what
purpose are they built and who bene-
fits by them?
Two classes of motor vehicles use
our highways, says r. E. Fulton, vice
pany, the motor truck and the pas
senger car. About 6 per cent of the
people in the United States own pas
senger cars, yet through the medium
of the motor truck every person in
the country is directly benefited by
the money that is spent for building
highways. AS a matter of fact, if the
seven million people who own passen-
ger cars were the only ones to derive
benefit from the road, our government
would scarcely be justified in spend
ing for this purpose money which
comes from the entire 115.00O,O0O. But
since practically every article that is
consumed or used by every one in this
country makes some part of It's jour-
ney from producer to consumer in
motor trucks. the entire population
receives dollars and cents return in
the form of lower living costs from
the improvement in Transportation
which motor trucks and good roads
! make possible.
Transportation Is Essential.
Adequate transportation is essential
to general welfare and prosperity, and
as conditions exist in the United States
| today, adequate transportation is impos-
slble without the use of the motor truck.
For example-suppose every motor truck
! in the country was suddenly put out of
use 1t would cause a paralysis of the
railroads through inability to clear
terminals; it would mean the cessation
of practically all building operations
| through lack of materials a; it would stop
! practically all passenger automobile OPP
GRAFTON, as almost all gasoline and oil is
| transported to retail filling stations in
! motor trucks; it would tie-up retail BUSH
ness in large cities to nearly a stand
| still and countless other situations
| equally serious would result 1t is a
| fact that the average person does not
| realize how dependent he is upon motor
| transportation.
Good roads must be built if the coun-
! try is to profit to the largest extent by
| the economic advantages of the motor
| truck, and if we are to have good
roads then road financing must be placed
on sound economic basis 1t is quite
natural that the task of collecting and
disbursing funds for supplying good
roads should be undertaken by govern
ment in behalf of the people. since it
| is a national proposition and since there
| is no other agency large enough to
handle the problem efficiently. 1t is
business arrangement. pure and simple
the original investment comes from
the people, of the country as a whole.
while the upkeep and maintenance Of
the roads is paid for by the vehicles
that use them. in accordance with the
amount of road wear each causes The
latter is, of course, just arrangement
under any conditions, yet the former
the investment on the part of the entire
population of the country-is only justi-
fed through the use of the motor truck
which gives each investor a return on
i his investment. In fact, it is only
through the increasing use OF motor
trucks that an enlarged road building
program has been justified and conse-
quently possible.
Truck In Sacrificed.
Recent legislation stimulated by
automobile owners has, in some in
stances, sacrificed the motor truck in
the interest of passenger cars. 1t is
obviously important that passenger
car owners realize that If they are
to have improved highways over
which to travel the expenditures for
the roads must be economically justi-
fed, and since the motor truck is the
factor which makes such expenditures
justifiable, the automobile owner who
attempts to hinder the growth OF mo-
tor truck transportation, defeats his
, own purpose, which is to secure good
roads.
The fact that the motor truck is
entitled to favorable consideration in
/ framing laws for highway regulation