Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-22

tends congratulations.
there are made an average OF 80
million telephone calls. the staggering
total OF Is billion calls annually. As
great as that total may seem. that
is approximately but one call every
three days for each man, woman and
child IN this country. Yet you ask
any business man how many times
his phone rings and he will tell you
once n second.
Let's compare these totals with
the motor car, another mechanism
which has taken its rank along with
other Indispensable utilities. for it Is
the subject of good roads which has
brought US together tonight: and II
IL were not for the motor car there
would be no good roads.
There are. according to the
United States Bureau OF Public Roads.
l0,&as. 900 passenger and commercial
cars in use in this country. For pur-
poses Of our calculations let US take
an even ten million.
IF each car carries an average Of
hut two people (most OF them can
carry hve) and operates but 900
days n year (most of them could op-
crate 36S days a year, the eQuiva-
lent OF six billion passengers are car
ried each year. In addition, accord
ing 10 the National Automobile
inS TO the National Automobile Cham
bcr OF Commerce, 200, 100000 tons
OF h-~isht are carried by the motor
trucks. This is four TO six times the
number of passengers carried by all
the steam railroads In tho United
States and about half the amount OF
freight hauled by the railroads.
The National Automobile Cham
her of ComNerce has made a survey
end ascertain~d that the averag,
travel OF the passenger cars is 6soC
miles annually. That would mean ap-
proNimately 60 billion miles travelled
yearly by ali the passenger automo-
biles in this country, which {.
about 164 million miles a day. Tn,
chamber Is authority for the state
ment that 30 per cent Of all automo.
biles are used moro OF less for bust
ness purposes. Further, that SIS pei
cont OF the total number OF auto
mobiles In tho United States ar,
owned By people living IN commun
ties OF 5000 inhabitants or lass- Also
That one-third OF all passenger car,
and one-slxth OF all motor truck.
are owned by farmers. Contrary Il
popular opinion, these facts show
that the automobile Is more general
ly ustd in the country and the small
towns than in the city They fur
ther emphasize the great need OF 6
network OF good roads covering al
parts OF the United States.
The United States Bureau Of Mines
says that the 1921 consumption OF gas
oline in this country was four ant
one-haf billion gallons. According L
the highest authorities in the petrole
UNI industry. four billion gallons, o,
30 per cent, is used for operating We
hicles.
The. automobile was born into 6
roadless world. Compared with tn,
millions OF miles OF telephone wire.
and the thousands of miles of stee
rails which make these other tive
great inventions effective, the auto.
mobile is still in a roadless world
Ire automobile was the creation o.
brains which dreamt Of thousands o.
miles pf boulevards where once ex
Isted mud holes and ruts. Once
more by comparison we have onl,
commenced To cover up those mue
holes and ruts. Yet a good road.
movement which promises incalcu
able benefits 10 mankind is well un
! der way. ! this movement the au.
topobile has been the most power.
ful missionary. emphasizing as moth
ing else has done the universal ad
vantages TO be derived from ade.
quate highways. ! am going TO leav,
/ the telling of what has been accom-
{ plished in the building OF good road.
TO some OF you gentlemen here pres
ent who are competent to speak witt
authority upon that subject.
Secretary Of State Alden r. Ben
son spoke briefly on the presen
status Of the states improved high
way system and urged that "a far
seeing public" support the move
ment toward a greater development
/ tn the future. United States Sena
ytor T. Coleman : du Pont spoke o
/ Delaware's new highways az "on
of the best and most modern sys
TENS In the country" as we'll as on
that has been economically built.
Josiah Marvel outlined the de
velopment Of the highway rlovemen
in the state and the consequent de
mand for and Inauguration OF high
way police system. Mr.. Marve
heartily commended the present polio
system under the direction OF Engi
neer Buck and also the citizens body
I Engineer Buck. William c. Corey
Charles Guyer. James 1. Boyce en-
Rev. George ID. Allison. pastor c
the Second Baptist Church, ais
spoke. Mr.. Buck presented figure
on the operation Of the state polio
from January ! to date. The fore
comprising f1ve men has cost 81,
2of.65. has covered 15.304 miles an
the coiIutips have coliacsad 81 III r