Evening star., 1921-10-09

| Secretary HooverS proposal for
nationwide drive for good-road build
ng as the readiest way to relieve
unemployment, which is the major
proposition to come UP for considera-
lion before the national conference on
Unemployment called by President
! Harding, has focused general inter-
ST in the federal governments CO.
.peration in building great highways
cross the continent.
trhe fact that this has been an I'M
f,recedented season for tourist travel
W automobiles. with the railroads
complaining that such travel has cut
.criously into their business, and the
General use of the nations highways
for truck carriage of food products as
rall S general merchandise, is an
.,ther' phase of the growing interest
J.? highway development.
The proposal of the House ways and
.ueanS committee to put a Nat fax "f
.sf0 on all automobile owners. in
recognition of the. fact that & hig
+lice of the federal taxes goes INTO
ne building and upkerp of good roads
spanning the states. is another indi-
.ation of the general recognition OF
| he fact that the great highways OF
| he country are playing larger part
n the daily life ct the American peo-
pie than ever before.
The federated engineering societies
If the country are supporting Secre-
| ary Hooyer's proposal for highway
construction work this fall and are
'.o-operating actively in the plans for
he Presidents unemployment con-
Ference. The organized farmers and
associations of those in other lines of
industry dependent upon the cont1n-
he'd production by the farmers are
lso bending their best efforts to en-
h,r,1 .rr,l1
rs avenues by which the farmers can
AXE their crops to market, but in
bringing the farms nearer to the city,
10 that life on the farm is freed from
is old-time isolation and drudgery.
Survey Proposed by Bureau.
A project to ascertain the total
fniIeage of rural az we'll as urban
highways in the United States, the
|.haracter and extent of their i'm
|, |,royement, the expense incident to
their construction and maintenance.
The origin and disbursement of the
Funds for highway purposes and de-
ais of administration under which
fhe work Of improving the nations
HIGHWAYS is carried out. has just been
launched by the bureau of public
|oads Similar surveys. but not as
ytensiye. were made by the bureau
II 1904. 1909 and 1914.
The present survey differs from
hose of the previous years in that
|. will embrace not only the rural
roads outside the incorporated viii
ages and cities. but also the urban
highways. such as streets. roads ana
'ieys inside of all Incorporated places
having Il population of $500 or over.
The need Of such q survey IS
Urgent. Congress is now considering
The whole matter of federal Co
'peration of road construction. the
Etates have set out to build exten-
-i.e state road systems: counties
kro local communities are voting
arge amounts OF bonds and taxing
themselves to the limit in order to
raise funds for betterment of their
roads. In the main, each state and
.ach community is proceeding to the
solution of its own local problems
with no conception of what the
|nther is doina Every state and
very community will gain by bet
/ Ter knowledge of what is being done
iaewher., particularly in respect to
|riethods Of administration and
financing.
To Learn Expense and Results.
The present survey aims to deter
Eninc not only how much money We
IRE spending ON our roads. and from
|Yhat sources our road revenues are
!eriyed. but also what results are
occurred from these expenditures,
The Investigation therefore viii
kseek to determine the total mileage
In each county and incorporated COM