The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
FAVORS
 CONCRETE FOR ROAD BUILDING
[enry Ford, Arthur Bris. bane And Others
 Indorse It


 There seems to be a unanimity of binion as to what type of road is best lited to withstand the terrific strain hat is imposed on highways, by mod Tn traffic. Fifteen years have elapsed nee the start was made for highway Estem in the United Staes and in that me practically every type of road has zen built and of the few that have cen able to come through uhscathed he concrete road seems to have proven self superior in actual service.
 Henry Ford, automobile manufac-
 turer wh0Se mechanical and finan-
 ,cial genius is in large part resp0n-
 sible for highway improvement
 since the popular priced car has
 given voice to the universal demand
 for better roads, is quoted in the
 Boston Herald as saying, that our
 roads must be made of concrete. To
 quote:
 "The automobile cannot be
 stopped and as the roads are not
 now adequate to meet the demands
 made upon them they must be
 made so.
 "I think that the solution lies in
 parallel roads and roads double
 the width of the present ones. And,
 they must be made of concrete, too.
 There is nothing like concrete for
 a road; it is unbeatable; l. know
 from my own experience. Properly
 contracted, concrete surface will
 outwear anything else known"
 To the editor of the Portland, (Ore.,) Telegram, permanence is the thing for bur roadbuilders to keep in mind. As he editor of this newspaper sees it, I've cannot go on much longer as we have gone on these 300 years of wood en houses, wooden bridges and mud roads, flattering ourselves that when hese things decay, we shall have bigger wealth for better building" As he tates the case
 "There is an economy in some forms pf cheap construction. Lack of pres mt funds and the probability of change with growth, compels some temporary building. But the day of major things s at hand. Concrete has come to be a major building material and concrete, properly made is practically indestruc- ible. There is every reason to believe that if humanity so desires, the rein Forced concrete factories, office build fngs, shops and stores now erected in fhis city will be serving their purpose lere 800 years hence as we'll as they lo today. The Pantheon, built in Rome flS00 years ago, is still in part of con- 'crete which is probably as strong or stronger than it was the year it was built.
 Many Roman roads made of stone Flabs 2,OOO years ago are good highways today. Concrete roads are for all prac- tical purposes stone slabs, wider, longer !and thicker and more wear-resisting than those used in the Roman roads. Brisbane Impressed By Concrete Roads
 Travelling in California, Arthur Bris. hane is impressed with the roads of fthar state and tells his millions of read 3crs about them in "Today"-his daily scolumn. Mir. Brisbane finds that Cali 5fornfa has 3,60O miles of concrete p'oads, there are two separate and dis |tinct concrete highways between San Iare now planning a third. When you get to California you |reach a state that appreciates the auto mobile and welcomes visitors. Big Chicago and New York can learn about roads here: New York and New Jersey especially
 should appropriate money to send their legislatures here to learn. They would find two perfect concrete bOulevards, running from San Diego to San Francisco, six hundred miles. They would find
 money appropriated and piles of
 stone distributed along the road for
 the building of third six hundred
 mile highway of concrete. Cali
 fOrnia having decided that its wis.,
 itOrs are entitled to 8 boulevard,
 following the very edge of the Pa
 cific all the way.
 Visitors in automobiles will find still more astounding a magnificent complet- led highway, all the way from Tia Juana, on the northern end of Mexico, up through San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco on to Portland and Seattle-nineteen hundred miles.
 That is road building such as even Caesar, with his legions, never attempt ed, and the roads are such as he never saw, absolutely perfect roads of cement, sand, stone and steel"
 Editor For Concrete
 In an editorial 'tLooking Ahead" the editoR of the Concord (N. H. Monitor Patriot, discusses the lasting qualities of roads and airs his views as follows:
 'The Monitor Patriot believe that concrete is the only material worth us- ing on the main highway through the city. It believes eventually that this material will cover the road from Bow to Boscawen. And if eventually, as the well-knwon flour motto goes, "why not now?"
 There are no easier riding roads than concrete roads and no one questions their durability as the greatest of any known road material. The light color immeasureably adds to visibility at night and undoubtedly decreases the ever present danger of accidents. Weather only makes them harder and when properly laid, they do not crumble under the most severe treatment.
 "Of course they cost more-in the beginning-but they are worth so much more there is no real argument on that score. Why cannot the city build such a main highways section a year if necessary, but under definite program? 1t will later on anyways"
 Praise From Constitution
 Evidently the same opinion holds true fin the south if the Atlanta (Ga.) Con stitution rightly adjudges the situation. In an editorial Concrete Roads" we find the following:
 ''As the acid test of service demon- strates the wearing qualities and dur ability of concrete, highway engineers and good road enthusiasts the country over are becoming more and more posi- tive in it's praise, especially for trunk line highways intended to bear up un- der heavy traffic.
 "In Georgia, as in practically every other state in the union, the superiority or concrete as paving material has been proven by experience.