The Washington herald., 1921-12-17
By SAMUEL HILL.

The need of reform in road build
ing and highway transportation, a
subject that will receive extended
discussion at the good roads con-
gress, to be held under the auspices
of the American Road Builders AS
ISOLATION, at the Coliseum in Chi
cago, January II to 20. next, is
one of vital interest to the people
of the United States at this time.
1t is a subject that should receive
the earnest consideration of every
good roads advocate, every states
man and every public official who
has the welfare of the country at
heart. and who wants to see the
United States lead the world in
cheap transportation facilities.
For forty years l have been in
terested in highway improvement in
the United States, and toImy mind
the most important thing which the
United States needs to do is to cor
relate its transportation system.
Abroad, in many countries, there is
a cabinet minister who has the title
of minister of ways and means of
communication. Water transporta-
tion, rail transportation and high
way transportation should be fitted
together in such a way as to best
serve the public needs. There are
| materials, but few people can think
o. them, that do not move over high
ways before they reach the water or
the railroad. Destructive competi-
| ton is unwise and unnecessary.
America began first of all by using
highways. The capital of every
State in the Union at one time. ex-
/ cept Florida, was located on a water
/ course. The development of steam
power caused the abandonment of
the policy of highway Improvement
inaugurated with the old Cumber-
land pike. Putting Billy. on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. SUI
perseded the wagon train. Today
/ Putting Billy sees coming over the
hard surface road, provided at pub
| lie expense, what he regards as a
/ competitor. So far has that fear
grown that the railway men recog-
nized. when they threatened to
strike, that the country could exist
without them.
stone Cutters Rare.
The stone masons and the brick
masons. feeling that they had the
| construction of buildings under
their control, diminished the cffec-
| tiveness of their work and raised
their prices. and today the stone
cutter is rarity. Concrete super-
seeded brick and stone. 1t is web
for our railroad brethren to bear
! this in mind.
transportation is the measure of
civilization. Every nation has in
creased in wealth and its workers
nave received high wages. just in
proportion as its transportation
systems have been multiplied. The
lowest wage rate today in the world
IS in China. There is not one single
nile Of highway in China. The
average highway in China is fifteen
inches wide. There is not one sin
gle mile of paved road in Japan, nor
one single mile Of paved street in
Japan.
Americas danger is that we will
duplicate unnecessary means Of
transportation. Every one of the
three is essential. but all should be
correlated and welded into one ma
chine to get the best results. II
we fail to do this we will pay bit
terly for ii. You can not get along
without railways or waterways. and
latterly we have come to understand
what highways mean.
Today England is laying an eight.
een-inch concrete base for all the
roads of England. On top of thai
they are putting Tarmac. Over thos,
roads they haul what they call steam
lorries or traction engines, each en-.
CINE pulling perhaps three cars hold
ing five tons each. The railway:
have complainedlt Parliament. and
Parliament is taxing those motor
buses. so as to more equitably dis.
tribute the burden.
The United States has had tn.
cheapest transportation in the world
| Outside of the Great Lakes il has
Jagged behind in water TRANSPORTS.
tion,' and only within recent wears
since the American Road Builder.
Association was formed has the mat
ter of proper highway Transports
ton been taken up.
Production of Food Is Vital.
With our Increasing population tn.
| problem of the production Of fooc
will become acute unless proper study
OF soils be made. This is now being
undertaken by our, government, but
| heretofore the matter Of ROAD AND