Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-23
]. S. Highway
PROGRESS LAST YEAR
Provision Tor Road Maintsn.
aros, Research by
ocientlvt.
~ Nay II. CAaplu.
CAalsmaa Mich ways Committee n. A.
L. q.


issi stands out ss tho period In which
th~rr has hcen the most forward-look-
,ns cr, s,aiiisation cf Industrial, state,
ana national policies.
within the short span ri its days
we have finally come 10 realisation
ef tho fundamental fact that after AL
urithe, the highway nor the vehicle
which travels over 1, can be consider
sd as things apart. To-day wc know
that each IL but an aspect of highway
transport and that " liz only as the
two together perform a real service TO
tho general public that either can be
IT lasting value.
The booster" period has passed. In
th~ future progress In highway trans
trr, mus, and viii he measured upon
the tasis of economic facts both from
the standpoint of individual transpor-
,a,ion ana from the broader viewpoint
~ an Internationally ~ all forms OF
transportation.
Tho automobile manufasturer must
recognize this ns he plans his pro-
ductirn. the automotlvo dealer must
s,uay and nnaly9e u as he surveys his
selling territory, the highway cnei-
n~~r must takc N into account "a no
complies his estimates for highway
construction and maintenance. tho
city planning expert must reckon with
Ne Influence ns ho measures tho fu-
tur. development Of his municipality.
It's effect will he found In real estate
valuations IN our rrCreationa areas.
IA education, IN every phasc OF life
h.to and abroad.
In the analysts ~ tho evcnts which
have brought tho highway transport
cfhclel- of the country 90 these con-
sMslonM three farturs stand out In
sharp relief, although no one ot
them can be- considered sepa-
fatuly une Ia the enactment of the
Townsend Federal Highway act of
1921, second. the progress made by
,h. Nufeau uf Public Roads of the
Department of Agriculture under the
leadership ~ T. H. Macdonald and
in ciOse cooperation with State hish-
way departments and third the dovel-
urmrnt ~ tho work OF tho Highway
snd i,ishway Transport Education
,ommltipe.
in The massage ~ the amendments
a. tho original Federal AID act. the
nation han been provided with a sound
and Intelligent highway policy
fof an adequate and connected inter
stat. highway system. throush its
concentration OF Federal funds upon
State highway ,yrtcms not cxcoed.
,ns seven per cent of the total mileage
~ each State. through it's drastic
maintenance rcauircments and
through rlrid standards OF oonstruc-
t,oN la witch future ss well as pro-
vsnlnp trsl''e needle must he taken
into sncount tho act marks n distinc,
advance oycr all al our policies of tho
l~rl
Thcr. is necessary 20 n fuii workout
only "A continuance OF ample oppropri.
suenr. such as tho nVo-ycar program
of tien 600 600 year Cor Ave years
already before Congress and support.
al hy a s,rong public sentiment. II
4. irconc~iyahic that this Will not hs
granted. hat hero there In a dcfnit,
nsld fpr cndeavor Dor all who bcliov,
IN scund highway development.
Nur~aW cf Roads n Pioneer.
Tho work OF tho Bureau of puhli'
Roads hae hccn " q pioneer characte
and has led into many and Divers
n~ld-. Including physical and eco
monte research, dissemination Of high
way facts. and broad studies IN finane
administration and statistics
Perhaps one Of the most valuable
ssuhlor now IN progress In that OF tn
teia,ion ~ tho road 90 that az sh
,ehlrl. An examination Of the fact
IL v'll far from complete, but al
vsay vr are saiulns a new conception
" these problems and one that offer
dls,lnrt encouragement
luukirN hack, we can perceive nov
thnt while motor vehicle use boga'
SHARP increase IN 1913, which ha
hrrurht the country from somcthln
more than ! 200 600 vehicles hy iei
a. 10000, op0 motor vehicles IN 1927
that while the curve of highway az
preparations brran 90 move upwar
~ ipit twhrn the ilrst Federal Al
a., was passcd), that IL was not unit
1870 and 1894 that the curve Of actuS
construction and maintenance bega
! a. ascend. The causes are apnaren
Wnt needs. freight congestion. hir
costs ~ material md labor held hac
eor.trur,lon. Tn. highways were sut
jerird 40 their most intensive use at
,ifne when maintenance was lcas
possihie
Improved Methods.
~ consequence. public thought WI
led a. the belief that the new form
hluhvhy tfnnspor, was too heavy Z,
out highways and immediately thei