Evening star., 1925-03-01
conform SIGNS
ON ROADS SOUGHT
Secretary Gore Names Board
to Develop New Safety
Methods.

Another important step in the
campaign for greater safety on
streets and highways was taken by
Secretary Of Agriculture Howard NJ.
Gore by the appointment this week
of a board, composed of officials of
the Bureau of Public Roads and the
State Highway Departments to estab-
lish uniform numbering and marking s
of highways of interstate character.
The board is headed by Thomas Fl.
. Macdonald, chief of the Bureau of
Public Roads.
Much confusion and inconvenience
to the tourist is occasioned, it is
believed, by the large variety of
conflicting signs and markers along
the road. Misleading signs are said
to be not only expensive to the
motorist who may be travelling for
miles on the wrong road, but they
are also, in many instances, contri-
butory factors to accidents.
Commenting on the important duties
of this board and the helpful results
expected from it's action, Secretary
Gore said: The association of State
highway officials has been giving
earnest consideration to this matter
for several years and each State. as
a unit, has been frantically passing
ordinances, erecting signs, eliminat-
ing railroad crossings and using the
generous space in the daily press to
teach the public safety methods of
highway transportation.
Cooperation Sought.
There have been a, number of
safety council meetings and gather
ings of various groups interested
not only in highway safety, but in
igb convenience which have
from time to time published their
suggestions. but il has been found
that there have been so many diver
gent views and conflicting ideas that
the general public in travelling over
the highways through the several
States encounter considerab con-
fusion 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 it's cooperation with the States is
doing a vital work which would not
otherwise be accomplished If entire
dependence were placed upon the
States themselves.
Seeks Uniform Signs.
"This joint board will not only
ADOPT UNIFORM SlSHS anu uoHSe4
signals 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
a person travelling from New York
through Chicago to San Francisco
NAV 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 mea sures will add much to
the safety of the travelling public as
well as to their convenience and per-
sonal comfort You would be sur
prised if you knew the additional
expense met by the public in the
unnecessary mileage travelled be-
cause of misdirection or no direction
at all
Thirty eight State Legislatures are
now in session and while few States
have no legislation on their statute
books to provide for this co-ordinat-
ing work. a vast majority already
have that authority and 1t 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-
needD~, -ational consideration of the
xrx4t traffic demands for uniform
traffic regulations throughout the
country"