The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-30
CITY TRAFFIC
 IS NEGLECTED
Closely RIated To Business Prosperity, Says Motor
 Club Secretary

American business interest, in neglecting the work of improving city traffic, are overlooking almost completely it's effect on industry and commerce, according to a statement made to the important industrisl leaders of Ohio by Fred H. Caley. executive secretary of the Nationai Motorists association.
 Business has been laborinG tire lessly to improve railroad. steamship and other forms of major transpors tation," declared MT. Galley, but It continues to overlook city traffic which is closely related to the three basic elements of prosperity--capital raw material and labor.
 What would happen" asks the N. M, A. official, If all the streets of a city of gigantic industries should be suddenly, and completely blocked so that nothing could move? Of what use are the railways If trucks and wagons cannot move or if workmen cannot get to their jobs?
 Such a condition Is, of course, i'm probable, but it serves to illustrate the point that a great economic loss is being suffered due to slow moving and cumbersome traffic, and that tho loss will continue to be in direct pro- portion to the lack of speed and con- venience as countenanced by Ameri- can business.
 Capital, the first of the three basic elements of prosperity, Is au- tomatically attracted to those cities where wide, well-paved streets, ef- fective traffic regulations and logical safety measures are the rule. Capi- tai flows readily to the community of orderly and efficient progressive ness because conditions are more favorable to a profitable return.
 Raw materials, tho second ele- ment, Is more directly affected. The motor truck has come to play e vital part in the transportation of basic products of the mines, farms, forests and quarries; and to such an extent taat its influence as result of in- a1f ent-eity management of traffic has already acted as stumbling 5o to industry and business
 DOT, the third element of pros pet ", requires ready access to It's place of work. When a city bids for a new plant one of the first ques- tious asked Is, What of transporta- tiona' Whether workmen walk, ride street cars or drive their automobiles wiN there be costly traffic jams with coHsaquent loss of time, high rate of abor turnover and disruption of ofet nization?'
 Mr. Galley concludes that business has a very important duty to per form with respect to improvement In eils traffic. The public, which he Mkeus to the management of the com lunity, should eliminate the osasss of traffic danger, congestion and blockade, just as the plant man. ausr would seek to eliminate any fac- toiy conditions which would affect ihe rec movement of the product from one process to another.
 The citizens traffic committee of Cleveland. composed of members of the Cleveland Automobile club, a prominent N. M A. affiliation. and otner local civil organizations, has aready been appointed for the pur- ucae of studying the kind. volume,
 me direction, duration and physical radHirements of traffic, this accurate stud to be co-incident with the com mittee's recommendation for strict enforcement of the traffic code. With the data in hand the commit tes should be In a position to make specific and concrete proposals for fhe necessary changes,