Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-08-10
GOOD ROADS ARE
JUST STARTING
MOVEMENT HAS NOT YET
REACHED IT'S PEAK is VIEW
OF THE EXPERTS.

New York, Aug. 10-Will the good
roads movement in the United States
continue to expand as rapidly as in
the past three years? Is the demand
for better highways growing?
That the movement has not reach
cd its peak is the opinion Of j. E.
Pennybacker, former chief economist
of the United States Bureau Of Pub
lie Roads, who points out that of the
100000 miles of highway in the
country only about $4,000 miles are
adequately paved. The traffic, he
declares, Of more than eleven million
motor vehicles absolutely requires a
far greater paved mileage if waste
Of gasoline, oil and tires and a high
rate of depreciation of the cars are to
be avoided. So huge are the sums
involved, he says in motor vehicle
operation and upkeep that self in
terest on the part Of motorists will
force the continuation of large road
building program. Appropriations
of funds for highway improvement
in the several states, he asserts, are
increasing rather than diminishing
and yet are falling short of the
economic limits justified by the re-
sultant saving in motor costs.
Mr.. Pcnneybacker's contention APP
parently is well substantiated by Of
fetal reports to the Asphalt AS
ISOLATION on bond issues proposed,
voted and sold during May and June,
1922, which show that, while in the
latter month bonds proposed for road
and street construction in the states,
counties, parishes, townships, roads
districts, cities and towns Of the
country fell off SlO,029,80O from
those proposed in May, bonds actual
~ voted, however, increased $685.
033 and those actually sold gained
SD, 314,740 The decrease in con-
templated bond issues occurs only in
the column on roads. Bond issues
contemplated for streets showed an
increase of S7,761 200. Bonds voted
for roads increased s1,519,732 over
May and those sold increased $751;
329,205. Bonds voted for street i'm
provement gained S1,OO5,S0 and
those sold gained S3,9S5,535.
Total bond issues under consider
alton for June bat not yet voted,
both streets and roads, amounting to
500, 363 800 Those voted totalled
$47.S69, 075 and those sold amounted
to SCI, 313,523. Bond issues for road
Improvement reported contemplated
in June amounted to S12,SS2, 600, The
bonds voted amounted to 96,744,192
and the bonds sold amounted to $780,
465,141. Contemplated bond issues
for street Improvement reported in
June totalled S16,4Sl 800, the bonds
voted reached S11,124,SS3 and the
bonds sold aggregated S10,S4S,382.
Among the localities reported in
terested in highway development
during June was Alma, with bond
issue of 500, 800 for street PAVING
reported as sold
"Only about II per cent of the
country highways" said Mr.. Penny
hacker, in analyzing these bond stat
istics, "have any hard surfacing at
all. Many thousands Of miles Of
macadam and gravel roads are in
poor condition and they hardly de-
serve the name Of improved roads
Even Of higher types large percent
age is Of light construction, with in
adequate foundation and drainage,
while few roads are paved to suffc-
lent width. Adequately paved coun-
try highways aggregate about TO-
600 miles, or 3 per cent Of the total.
The Federal aid highway system now
in the early state Of improvement
comprises only about 7 per cent Of
the total. Few states are able to fig
ure less than 10 per cent of their mi
leage as necessary to comprise
state highway system. Therefore
with only $4,000 miles or 3 per cent
improved, an additional 7 per cent or
$4,000 miles must be surfaced to
complete the State Federal system,
not to mention the county and town
ship reads. Manifestly the needs Of
the nation call for a vast paving !
program for the next twenty-five |
years at least
GAS the statistics for May and June
so well indicate, bond issues are be-
ing floated in ever increasing num-
bers and, for the most part, in larg-
CT amounts, SO ii seems hardly likely |
that our present annual good road |
and streets program Of more than a
billion dollars viii ever suffer any
but a temporary setback, if at all. !