Evening star., 1925-02-25
GROUP IS SELECTED
TOMARK HIGHWAYS
State and Federal Govern
ments to Cooperate.
Signs to Be Standardized.

A definite move TO bring about ma
tonal coordination in the marking and
naming of arterial interstate highways,
including the adoption Of universal dan
ger and mileage signs, was taken to-
day by Secretary OF Agriculture Howard
NJ. Gore IN the appointment of a COM
mission of officials from the United
States Bureau of Public Roads and the
various State highway departments to
prepare a general plan for submission
TO the several State legislatures.
The association of State highway
officials said Secretary Gore, in an
nouncing appointment of the commits
sion, has been giving considerable con-
sideration to this matter for several
Years, and each State, as a unit, has
been frantically passing ordinances,
erecting signs, eliminating railroad
crossings and using the generous space
of the press to teach the public safety
methods of highway transportation.
There have been a number of safety
council meetings and gatherings of va
rlous groups interested not only in high
way safety, but in highway convenience,
which have from time to time published
their suggestions, but it has been found
that there have been so many divergent
views and conflicting ideas that the
general public in travelling over the
highways through the several States en-
counters considerable confusion because
of the great variety of direction signs
and danger signals.
This move to coordinate the work
of the various States through this
governmental agency is just another
proof that the Federal Government
in its cooperation with the States is
doing a vital work which would not
otherwise be accomplished if entire
dependence were placed upon the
States themselves.
This joint board will not only
adopt uniform signs and danger sig
mails to be approved by the States,
but will also number the main high
ways throughout the country. The
purpose of this is TO simplify travel
ing directions for the public so that
person travelling from New York
, through Chicago to San Francisco
may be able to do so by following
a certain number all the way. Then
also every danger sign will mean the
same in every State. 1t is believed
that these measures will add much to
the safety of the travelling public as
well as TO its convenience and per-
sonal comfort. You would be sur
prised if you knew the additional cX-
pense met by the public in the un-
necessary mileage travelled because
of misdirection or no direction at all
''Thirty-eight State Legislatures are
now in session, and while a few
States have no Legislation on their
statute books to provide for this CO.
ordinating work, a vast majority
already have that authority, and it
IS expected that the remaining States
will gladly fall in line.
This board is being formed at the
unanimous request of State highway
. departments that have been studying
the question for several years, and
] am only too glad to cooperate with
them in bringing about this much
needed national consideration of the
great traffic demands for uniform
traffic regulations throughout the coun-
try"
The members of the commission
follow: Thomas II. Macdonald, chief
of the Bureau of Public Roads. Wash
ington, D. c., chairman; L. w. James,
chief of design, Bureau of Public
Roads, Washington, D. c.; A. B.
Fletcher, consulting highway traffic
engineer, Bureau of Public Roads,
washington, D. c.; Frank +. Rogers,
ing, Mich; c. NJ. Babcock, commits
sioner of highways, st. Paul, Mimi;
A H. Hinkle, superintendent of
maintenance, Indianapolis, Ind. +;
James Allen, State highway engineer,
Olympia, Wash; Cyrus S. Avery,
chairman State Highway Commission,
Tulsa, Okla; l.. A. Boulay, director
of highways and public works, Co
lumbus, Ohio; o. A. Brown, State
highway commissioner, Bismarck,
n. Oak; James A. French, State
highway engineer, Sante Fe., n. NJ. !;
G. j. Fortney, State highway engi-
neer, Charleston, West Va; Frederick
Stuart Greene, director of public
works, Albany, N Y; w. o. Hotch-
kiss, chairman State Highway Com
mission, Madison, Wis., John A. Mac
donald, highway commissioner, Hart
ford, Conn; c. II. Moorefeld, State
highway engineer, Columbia, S. c.;
Robert NJ. Morton. State highway en-
sineer, Sacramento, Calf; B. H.
Piepmeier, chief engineer, Jefferson
City, Mo-; Henry G.. Shirley, chairman
State Highway Commission, Rich
. mond, Va; William G. Sloan, State
J highway engineer, Trenton, N. J., and
william e Williams. director of pub
lie works, Boston, Mass.