The Washington herald., 1921-08-10
The Herald
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NEED DEFINITE KNOWLEDGE
or HIGHWAY PRoBLEMs.

NDN1c3Ats ADettE H. 1nll-
NEED DEFINITE KNOWLEDGE
OF HIGHWAY PRoBLEMs.
More definite knowledge Of the
engineering and economic facts
that should control the construction
and use Of highways and vehicles Is
needed TO assure proper future
progress Of highway transportation
In this country. declares Prof. W.
X HIATT. just appointed director OF
the advisory board on highway re-
search Of the division Of engineer
ing OF the National Research coun-
ell. This board will co-ordinaie
and suggest needed research that
can be carried out by the leading
national organizations that are con-
cerned with the construction. eco
nomics, and maintenance and
financing Of roads and vehicles.
The situation IL critical" says
Prof. HIATT. The sooner those In
terested use facts as the basis for
their activities. the more assurance
we shall have that the public will
not interrupt progress in highwEy
transport because Of a general feel
ing OF insecurity"
Approximate figures available
now from the industry indicate that
the annual expenditure on the auto
mobiles and trucks that run over
the roads is twelve times as large
as the amount OF money spent each
year on the roads themselves. For
this reason, Prof HIATT and his
committee believe that the facts
that AFFECT the cost Of vehicle oper-
alton due 20 the road surface and
the vehicle itself must be empha-
sized. and that while in the past
most effort has been spent in road
building. the future must see iH-
tensive research effort TO make
the automobile more efficient ana
cause the road to have a longer life
by nroper maintenance.
There are $4,000. 100000 invest
ed in self-propelIed vehicles. ard
the turnover is over $4,000, 100000
annually" says Prof. HIATT For
every ten passenger vehicles there
is one freight vehicle. and the prob
important Transportation by self
propelled vehicles is the most eN-
pensive of all commercial forms. and
the future will see a large increase
in the volume of this type Of trans
portation."
Cooperation in the National Re
search Council in the broad work
OF co-ordinating highway research
are the various State highway on
cials. the American Concrete In
stitute. the national organizations
Of consulting engineers. civil engi-
neers, mechanical engineers, and
automotive engineers. the American
Society for Municipal Improve
ments, the American Society for
Testing Materials. the Association
Of American State Biologists. the
I. s. Bureau Of Public Roads. the
Corps Of Engineers of the L. 8
Army. the Engineering Foundation.
the Federal Highway Council. the
National Automobile Chamber cf
Commerce. and the National High
way Traffic Association.
The new organization will not en-
gage in research itself. but will act
as a helpful and suggestive clearing
house for the facts arrived at as a
result Of the large amount Of high
way research that is in progress
and planned by the bureau Of public
roads, the United States army, the
State highway commissions. the
universities and industrial organi-
cations all over the country.