Evening star., 1922-10-30
D. c. TAKES STEPS
TO GET SURPLUS
ROAD MACHINERY
Officials Said to Be INSPECT
ing u. S. Equipment Avail
able for Transfer.
ACQUISITION FOR USE
THIS FALL Is DOUBTED
Engineer Department Plans Big
Drive in Spring if Material
Is Obtained.

surplus Army road building ma
chinery of every description to the
value of nearly 100000 may be OBJ
ta1ned by the missioners from the
government. for use in improving the
highways of the National Capital.
Engineer Commissioner Charles
Keller and Maj. F. S. Besson. assist
ant commissioner in charge of high
ways. are out of the city today, anu
1t Is understood they have gone L.
inspect some of the equipment tina;
is available for transfer.
1t was learned today that arrangc-
ments have been unGer way for s.v-
eral weeks between District and fed
erai officials to obtain Implement
that could be used in the street ana
road work that has accumulated her.
since the war.
Many Implements Sought.
Here are some of the things VIII
1t is reliably reported, the city head
are endeavoring to obtain from ,h,-
governments surplus stocks:
"A steam shovel, a motor distribu,u.
1or the treatment OF bituminous
roads. an asphalt plant, twelve motoy
trucks for hauling materials. a doz.p
road piows, two tractors several coz
crete mixers Of various sizes, thr.,
road graders, four hand rollers, thre.
power rollers, two elevators for load
ing stone into trucks. supply OF
asphalt kettles. heaters for asphalt
toois, three anvils and blacksmith
tools, portable forges. chain hoists.
STOCKS ana dies, one stone crusher
Jacks for motor vehicles, platform
scales. two large oil-storage tank.
and miscellaneous road building tools
This complete outfit of road building
equipment is said to be available a;
"a number of different nearby Army
depots. including Norfolk, New York
and points in New Jersey.
Would Speed Work.
If all of the implements mentione,
are obtained the engineer depart
ment Of the District should be abb,
to go forward on a much larger seal.
than it has for several years in put
ting the rapidly growing highway
system of the nations capital in good
condition.
The Star several months ago called
attention to the possibility of having
the federal government turn over to
the District some of the road building
machinery left over from the wal
period as one means of meeting the
problem facing the Commissioners of
keeping the streets of Washington in
satisfactory shape on Inadequate ap-
propriations.
Even if the Commissioners succeed
in getting all of the implements for
which they have asked. the necessity
for larger appropriations for stree.
and road work would not be removed
1t was pointed out today.
Plain Drive I'm Spring.
The receipt of this surplus Arm.
material would, however. great.
strengthen the hands of the engineer
department in its repair work, which
must go on constantly.
In presenting their estimates for
the next fiscal year to the budget bu-
reau the Commissioners laid stress
upon the need for spending larger
sums on new paving and repair work.
And the steps they are now taking to
get surplus war machinery is another
indication that the city engineers are
striving in every way possible to
bring the streets of the National Cap
ital up to the standard they should be
1t may not be possible to get IN.
government equipment here in tim,
to do much work before bad weather
sets in, but if the District is success.
full in getting the supplies requisite.
the engineer department will start 1:
spring campaign OF road repair i.
earnest.
Scores of New Streets.
The Commissioners realize that (,
several years past Washington h.
enjoyed a building boom that ha
opened up many new suburban con
munities. In almost every direc
ton rows Of new houses have bee.
erected. creating scores of new street:
which must be paved.
/ In addition to this growth. the,
have the main artrieS of traffic. sue
as Connecticut. Georgia and Rhod
Island avenues to resurface to NEE
the burden of traffic those highway,
now carry.
1t can readily be seen, therefor
that any material equipment obtainc
from the government war surplus ca
be used to good advantage in Was'
ington.
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