Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-26
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

averaged about 3.4oo month of
deaths. -
Today we are killing in the track
Of automobiles more than $4,000 a
year-twothirds as many a month as
all the bullets and gas Of war slew
per month. The fatalities are increas-
ing at the rate Of per cent year.
The number has doubled in seven
years.
The war wounded 10000 Americans
a month: today's automobile is Grip
ping more than 100, 900 a years., 1913
average per month. Look over your
first $50 friends. One will be seriously
injured next year! These are official
statistics compiled by committees OF
the National Chamber of Commerce.
as to automobiles, and by the War
Department, as to the World War.
The danger is not confined 10
crowded streets Of the large cities.
Casualty maps show that more acct
dents In proportion to people occur in
the suburbs or country, where II is
impossible to maintain guards to warn
Of the danger, than happen In the
busiest streets. Methods under consid-
Grafton for crowded thoroughfares can
not be thought of for outlying regions.
For example, 1t has been suggested
that elevated viaducts be built for all
pedestrians in business streets, with in
clined approaches and with bridges
into the second stories Of business
places.
Railroad mileage in the United
States has not increased since the
World War. The coming of the pneu
matte and solid rubber tires is thought
by many to mark the decline Of all
rails until only trunk lines for heavy
1,,a Ia f-n yryh will Cn
travel.
Already many railroad companies
are using automobiles in place OF
! "peddler freight trains" for the car
rying of local traffic. while the com
| petition Of trucks even for long hauls
as well as passenger travel has proved
serious competition.
According to a report of the bureau
of public roads of Connecticut, the
State highway system Of that little
State carried motor truck traffic In
the year ended September, 1924,
amounting to 10 100000 gross tons, be-
sides Is 400 900 passenger car traffic.
Nearly half of that traffic was con
fined to 366 miles out of the total Of
1880 miles of roads. The railroads
are able to carry freight on level roads
at about half a cent ton mile, but
| that is over tracks costing from $40
| 900 to $4,000 a mile to build, with
proportionate expense to maintain.
The motor trucks travelling over high
! type paved roads cost for fuel ! cent
a ton mile and over earth roads IL
cents ton mile.
Concrete roads in Connecticut aver
age cost Of construction $40.500 per
mile, and the savings in gasoline will
! pay their cost in 20 years. Advocates
Of the motor truck declare that the
economies Of truck hauling and house
| toulouse delivery are radically great
in comparison with the old method OF
terminal to terminal.
X X x
These are but a few of the problems
to be discussed at the March confer
ence. In addition, there will be much
| to say about the economic changes i'll
! society wrought by the automobile
the widening of habitable territory
into distant suburbs, the broadening
| Of available markets for the dairyman,
the fruit and truck producer, the
! stimulating Of health and appreciation
and benefits of open life in touch with
nature.
There is no undertaking to set up a
Federal control of intrastate nor even
Of interstate traffic. In his closing re-
marks at the first conference Secre-
| tary of Commerce Hoover said:
Now, again. it has not been our
purpose, nor has it developed in your
debates, that we are engaged in the
establishment of new organizations,
| but rather that we should establish
cooperation between organizations
and different localities. Not
government from a central authority.
but government by stimulation of the
local community to its responsibilities
and education of the local community
| to intelligent action. To me that Is a
far wiser. far greater solution than
the constant drive to centraliZe the
Government of the United States"
That principle, too, comedies with
President Coolidges recent declaration
in his speech calling upon the State
authorities to take upon themselves
more of their State responsibilities
in place of leaning upon the Federal
Government for what the individual
States should do.