Evening star., 1922-01-22
PLANNING TO SPEND
BILLIONS FOR ROADS
Research on a Huge Scale Undertaken
Under Auspices of the National
Engineering Foundation.

~ ESEARCH on huge scale to
- determine how billions Of the
national wealth shall be ap-
piled to highway Transports
ton is planned by engineering socie-
ties, state and government agencies
and other organizations under the
direction of the advisory board on
highway research, maintained by the
Engineering Foundation and the Di-
| vision Of Engineering Of the National
Research Council.
Announcement Of plans and results
! achieved in the highway work was
! made yesterday by the Engineering
| Foundation. following a meeting In
New York Of the board, attended by
| highway experts from every section
| of the country. w. K. HIATT OF wash
| ington, a former professor Of Purdue
| University, was reelected director
| of the board. Anson Marston. dean
! of engineering Of Iowa State Col
| lege, was chosen chairman and A. D.
| Finn Of New York vice chairman.
| Prof. Comfort A. Adams Of Harvard.
Henry NJ. Crane Of New York and
| Thomas H. Macdonald, chief Of the
! United States bureau of public roads,
were elected to the executive COM
| mittee.
Economics has transcribed all
other problems Of highway trans
| portation, it was stated in an an
nouncement issued by the Engineer
/ ing Foundation. Organization OF the
| transportation agencies of the coun-
try so that each may preserve its
proper economic relation to the others
was described as the central need.
Since a limited amount OF the ma
| tional wealth is available for trans
J portation," said the statement Of the
! foundation, what is spent on high
| nomic necessity will diminish the
| amounts that should be applied to
other agencies of transportation. such
as railways and electric lines.
| 1.-THE data upon which the solution
| of this problem may be predicated
are largely wanting. Such data re-
! suit from traffic surveys and analysis
Of data Of costs that arise from the
road and from the vehicle. 1t is in
| this economic field that the greatest
opportunity lies !s for usefui sin and
tion of transportation agencies should
replace conflict"
| Figures showing enormous develop
| ment of highway transportation, re-
! suits of surveys showing progress in
! determining the proper relation of
| revenue to cost and suggesting that
| the plea Of farming communities and
other property holders for diminished d
road taxes might be met if those who
! them were made public. Importance
| of traffic was stressed as a chief fac
| tor in devising a colossal scheme of
During 1921 $500, 900. 900 was spent
on highways in the United States for
Of cities, it was stated. OF this sum.
s420,000.000 went for construction
and s1so,000, 600 for maintenance.
! The number Of vehicle licenses last
year was given as s,750.000. IT the
cost of the road is divided by the
stated, "it appears that the total road
expenditures for a licensed car are
as follows: Spent on maintenance pei
! license. $3.50: total expenditures pei
car license, $3.50"
| Discussing revenue. the statement
estimated that $118,000,000 was paid
for vehicle licenses in this country
in 1921, and approximately $120.000,-
| 600 of excise taxes, making a total
of $23S,O00, 900. The revenue per car
! for license fees was approximately
ten dollars a year. and this added to
| the excise tax makes the total reve-
! nue. of the car about $1s. Thus. 1t
was stated. the car licenses paid
about two-thirds of the cost Of main
| tenance Of roads.
! Figures were cited to show that so
| far as could be ascertained the IL
cense fee per car was from 1910 to
! SIT. or an average Of $14.53 in Iowa.
Michigan, New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania. and that in these states
| the road expenditures, including
1 construction and maintenance costs
ran from $29.15 to $50, an average
of S47.65. 1t would be unfair, it was