Evening star., 1923-10-21

placed against the industry in many
states has been out Of all proportion to
Its ability to pay; that the motor vehicle
has been the most powerful influence
toward the building OF better roads, so
necessary for economic advancement,
and that trucks and busses are in
actuality cooperating and not compet-
ing units In the transportation system.
Want Fair Regulation.
Nor is II widely understood that,
far from opposing intelligent regula-
| ton and taxation, the automotive in
! reasonable regulations and the inn
position OF taxes sufficient to cover
the entire budget Of state highway
departments for the maintenance of
improved sTs.eS highways ;,fi, The The United
that the total OF motor vehicle taxes
for 1922 was S334.901,209 In some
| states the amount OF such taxes far
exceeded the highway maintenance
| budget In this connection 1t Is in
| teresting to note that one OF the
| largest truck manufacturing COM
panies, which has paid out q total of
| more than S12,000,o00 in dividends
over period of years, has also paid
| federal taxes.
One of the striking aspects of mo-
| tor vehicle legislation is the wide
variation in the licensing fees of the
various states, In the bases for fix
\ ing fees and in those elements which
are closely related to the cost of high
| way construction and maintenance.
namely, weight and speed Of motor
| trucks.
While exact uniformity Of regula.
| tions and restrictions may not be pos
stble because of differing local condi
| tions, II is certain that manufacturers
| and operators Of trucks and busses, as
well as highway engineers, must be
4 EnI IrlV Gyto N nr1 no1n an
, ceptable to the states as a whole,
upon which the problems as to weight,
| speed and tire impact may be worked
| out.
Defends Heavy Trucks.
| II is being recognized that il IS
| folly to bar the So-called heavy duty
| truck from the highways as has been
| tho endeavor in some states. Such
| procedure would result in the use of
| two trucks instead of one, with con-
| sequent greater damage to the road
ways as well as higher operating
| costs. In the matter of gross weight
] there should be limit, of course.
The motor vehicle conference COM
mittee has submitted its proposal for
| fourteen tons gross, and upon this
basts highways of the future are
| likely to be built.
The chief point to be considered in
| connection with the highways Is that
| they should be built to carry the nee
! eSsary traffic rather than so poorly
or cheaply constructed as to act as q
bar to economical hauling. The pub
| lie mind should be educated to con-
slider the value of good roads from
the standpoint of actual decrease In
1 the cost of commodities through de-
crease in the expense of transporta-
! tion.
The value OF paved highways lies in
! their destruction through use, and
not in their preservation through un-
economically restricting that use.
The only possible use to which paved
received can be realized must be COM
| mercial use.
| Against State Lines.
| State lines should no longer be
| drawn in transportation matters, and
| legislatures should act to make uni
| form highway rules and regulations.
| together with laws as to licenses and
fees, In SO far as possible, for the
| purpose of encouraging tranSporta-
| ton, and therefore for the purpose OF
! decreasing costs TO the consumer
Commercial motor vehicles are here
| to stay. They have become and will
| remain absolutely necessary parts of
a unified and efficient transportation
system. and the expansion of the fa-
| cilities afforded by their use should
| be encouraged by reasonable legisla-
| tion rather than retarded by in-ad-
viSed prohibitions.
Upon this belief not only the manu-
! facturers of motor vehicles are
agreed. but also an increasing num-
Der of rail and water line opera tors.
| who are demonstrating by the pur-
| chase and utilization Of trucks and
| buses the value of these mobile units
| as adjuncts OF their own service.
I More than sixty electric railways
In twenty-three states now operate
busses and feeders and extension
units; the use Of trucks by railroads for
i, less-than- n-carload- hauling and ter
! minal service is growing constantly.
buyer of the commodity of transporta-
ton. as we'll as the real owner of It's
properties, should be seeking the en-
actment of wise legislation to improve
! Its trade arteries and carriers and to
| safeguard its tremendous investment
| In