South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-04
SOUTH BEND WILL
SPEND $4,000 ON
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
Local Expenditure Part of
Huge Sum Available in
L. 5. for Highways.

South Bend with a proposed ex-
penditure OF $4,000 for paving is
OF 345 states. counties. townships
and municipalities announced with
in the past week as contemplating
highway Improvement TO grand
total OF s153.745,254.
More than $1,000. 900, 900 IS avail
able for good roads and streets in
the United States. This sum, large
as it Is, represents an increase over
the highway revenues OF 1914 OF
only about 80 per cent, while high
way traffic has increased $50 per
cent. There are now $500. 900
miles OF highways in the United
States. Of which only an approx
mate 100000 miles are improved
with modern pavements. When
compared 10 sums expended for
Injuries by the pleasure loving
public the American highway bud
get does not look so impressive.
Big Sum For Foibles.
The people OF this country spend
81, 900, 100000 a year for candy, So
500, 100000 for automobiles, $1,000,
100000 for automobile tires, $1,275,-
10000 for gasoline, $500, 900, 900
for carpets and rugs, s1,950,000,0 900
for cigars. cigarettes, tobacco and
snuff, and $1,650, 200. 900 for jewelry,
perfumery and cosmetics. on the
other hand the sums spent for roads
and streets are seven times greater
than those expended for water sup
ply Improvements, three times those
for sewerage work and 10 times
those for bridges.
In connection with the road-build-
ing program. public officials are
casting about to find the types of
pavement best suited TO their pur-
pose and best calculated 10 save
money to the taxpayers and those
who use the highways. It now cots
from $4,000 TO 100000 a mile TO
construct modern paved highways,
depending on the dimensions Of the
pavem ent, the kind Of material used
and the local conditions encounter
ed such as labor costs and sub-soil
conditions. Naturally the purpose OF
the highway officials is TO get the
best for the least expenditure. con
sistent with durability and service.
ut is high time" says NJ. o. Ed
ridge, director Of roads. American
Automobile association, ito pay
more attention TO the effect Of the
various road surfaces on motor We
hicles instead of considering only the
damage by the motor vehicle to the
road. Compare, for instance. the
smooth residence of Fifth av., New
York (paved with sheet asphalt)
with the rough. gritty and flinty sur
faces so often encountered on coun-
try roads, and ~ TO lima CINE what a
| tidy sum in tire bills would be saved
If we could all travcn on avenue sur
faces. The saving in tire costs alone
would pay the difference in con-
struction costs in many instances"
Needs Careful Survey.
According to J. Z. Pennybacker
former chief economist for the
United States bureau Of public
roads. determination OF justihtablt
outlay for the proposed improve
ment Of roads and streets from anti
| cipated service, should call for a
least as careful a survey and esti-
mate as the engineer now provides
for the construction work itself. II
is suggested that for the potentia
local traffic" says Mr.. Pennybacker
"a zone be plotted TO include the ter
ritOry which might logically b'
served by the highway after i'm
lprovement. Within this zone the in
vestigator could make an approx
mate automobile census and so &C
quaint himself with the business, in
dustrial and social factors and pos
sibiHties Of the zone as TO establish Z
basis for estimating both the satur
alton point in motor vehicle owner
and the average mileage per car
The cost of operation per ton mil,
on the old road should be ascertain
ed and from this should be sub
tarcted the estimated cost OF opera
ton per ton mile on the improves
highway esta blished by comparativ,
data Of operating costs on highway
similar 10 the type or types undo
consideration for the Improvement
This method leaves to the enginee
the same discretion as now custom
arily exercises IN selection Of de
sign but subjects II TO the test 0