New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Auto Industry
A Great Factor
In Road Building
More Than II Times Earth's
Circum f e renee Repre-
sented i'm Construction of
New Thoroughfare

Three hundred thousand miles of
surfaced thoroughfares, amounting to
more than twelve times the earth's cir
conference, have been constructed in
the United States and Canada since
1880, the year in which the Good
Roads Movement" had its organized
inception, according to C. S. Lee, direc-
tor of Highways Information Service,
26 West Forty-fourth Street. Agita-
ton due to the advent of the motor car
and truck has been responsible, he
says, for raising the highway mileage
Of the United States to 2,47S,552 and
that of Canada to $4,000. For the
period from 1880 in excess of $3,0OO,-
100000 has been spent for highway i'm
provement in the two countries.
more than $1,30O,0 100000 is now
available and s1,500,0o0 900 additional
will be required to carry out projects
under contemplation" says Mr.. Lee.
And yet only a beginning has been
made. Billions more must be expend-
ed before the country has anything
like highway system adequate to the
traffic needs.
interest on the part of nearly TO-
100000 automobile and truck owners az
we'll as the owners of the 100000
teams of horses and mules regularly
using or working on the highways, not
to mention the smaller number Of Fed
eral state, county, district and munich
Pal highway officials, engineers, con-
tractors, manufacturers, mail carriers,
resort owners, farmers, merchants, etc,
has given the good roads movement
such strength that no politician, ma
tlonal, state or local. dare refuse to
listen when there is an honest demand
for road betterment. At least 10000
O0C Americans are now advocates of
good roads"
Figures announced by the Asphalt
Association of New York City for the
month of June, 1921, compared to fig
ufcs for May, show that provision for
future highway work in the United
States and Canada took a big squirt
for the month closed. During June.
Mr.. Lee points out, total of $179,-
3o7 $685. in new bond issues for roads
and streets were reported frol.l $40
states, counties, townships, road dis
tricts and municipalities, compared to
$l64,371, 1858 from $50 similar divisions
of government having charge of the
work in May. This is an increase of
9l9,Soo,oUo.oo ana makes a total of |
S343,678,7 12.36 in new bond issues over
and above the billion previously avail |
able, or a grand total of $1,343,678,-
1926 now available for highway work |
in this country and the dominion to |
the north.
'sThe automobile and the motor truck !
have done more to form a favorable |
sentiment in behalf of road betterment |
than any other agency" says Mr.. Lee. |
1T has been only by the most per-
sistent efforts on the part Of the |
advocates and the formation of mill |
tant organizations everywhere that the |
good roads movement has been carried |
To IT'S present high state.
"Of the 1,702 agencies that are now |
lighting for highway improvement, /
ntty-slx are organized movements for |
the construction of certain national or |
interstate highways, fifteen are ma |
t!onai or Interstate good roads associa-
t.ons, thlrty-four are state organiza-
lions, 304 are automobile associations
ana motor clubs, $50 are road contrac-
tors, material or machinery trade asso /
cations and engineering societies. /
are motor truck and auto
mobile trade organizations and l3l are
publications devoted to the movement
n one form or another. There are 1856
hambers of commerce, merchants as
ociations and boards of trade having
landing committees which frame the
olicies of those organizations in mat
ers pertaining to highway improve
1ent."