The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-02
So Per CENT
OF ROADS YET
TO Be BUILT
Despite All Programs and Ap-
preparations Only IS Per
Cent Improved Problem
is To Spend Wisely.
TWILL HOLD CONGRESS
PALLADIUM NEWS BUREAU

PALLADIUM NEWS BUREAU
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-Despite all
programs and appropriations by the
federal and state governments last
year came to a close with only Is per
cent of the roads in the United States
permanently improved. This state
ment is made by H. l.. Bowlby of the
United States bureau of public roads
and president of the American Road
| Builders association.
While highway improvement has
made tremendous strides in the United
States in recent years" Mr.. Bowlby
says, 'it is still in its infancy. Eighty
five percent of American roads are yet
to be improved. 1t is not now so much
question of raising the money re-
quired to build good roads as il is the
! problem OF spending wisely the large
sums available in every state for this
purpose"
i A national good roads congress and
exposition of road building machinery.
materials, methods and appliances will
be held in Chicago the week of Janu-
ary 16. Many questions pertaining to
highway finance and administration,
as well as road construction and high
way transportation will be discussed
at this meeting. 1t is expected that at
least 10000 delegates from all parts
OF the United States, Canada. Cuba
Porto Rico and Hawaii will be in at
| tendance.
Enlist Young Men.
! One result that is hoped for from
this meeting and the consequent i'm
petus TO the good roads movement is
that OF enlisting more young men in
the field of highway engineering" Mr.
! Bowlby said. The number of road
engineers is entirely too small for the
existing demand.
Good transportation facilities con-
stitute one of the greatest of the
sources of national wealth We really
do not need to search the pages of
history to realize the vital part that
highways have played in world de-
Ivelopment. In our day, | believe, the
highway will become the great rival
of the railroad. The passenger auto
mobile and the motor truck indus
tries, two OF the greatest now in point
of capital invested and output, are
absolutely dependent for their stabil-
ity and growth upon good roads. In
establishing our highway systems and
in building our roads the motor traffic
of the future must be gauged and am
pie provision made for a rapid increase
in the volume and weight of highway
traffic. Our highwys must be planned
to meet future rather than present
needs, and built-not for a day--but
for all time. They have become a
means to an end, and that end is the
coordination of all the great sources
of power in the nation for the use,
comfort and convenience of all of the
people"
The senate will take up Senator
James E. Watson's bill authorizing
issuance of interchangeable mileage
books by railroads on January II. No
opposition to the measure is an
ticipated
During the year Just closed il is es-
timated that passenger fares paid to
l6S railroads amounted TO a little in
excess of one billion dollars, which is
a considerable reduction over the rev.
| enue the railroads received from that
| source in 1920 This is attributed to
the fact that during the past year rail
| road passenger rates We're almost pro-
hibitive. Last year each traveller paid
| an average of 3.13 cents mile for
| railroad transportation as against $50
cents the previous year.
Cost to Decrease
The ensuing year the cost OF travel
will be appreciably diminished by the
! removal of the tax on railroad trans
portation. The cost will be reduced
. still further in the event of the an
| ticipated passage of Senator Watson's
I bill, which provides for the issuance of
! a mileage book, interchangeable, non
transferable, good on all interstate
roads, at 212 GEMS per mile. Concern
ing the Watson bill Senator Robinson
of Arkansas, Democrat, says in a state
| ment:
THE passage of this legislation
would be of great immediate benefit
to both the railroads and the country,
! and would do more to relieve the un-
employment situation and bring about
activity in the agricultural, industrial
| and commercial world than any legis-
lation that has been suggested or could
! be suggested to congress at the pres
ent time, and it has the unequivocal
Endorsement of the great travelling pub
| lie, who represent the lifeblood of the
! nation"