Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-02
TOLL BRIDGES Fill. FOREFRONT
OF CONGRESS- AUTO PROBLEMS
Reduction of Excise Taxes or Abolition, Bus and
Truck Regulation and Participation in Inter.
national Conferences Claim Attention.

drawn which perhaps will throw light
on situation which bids fair to hold
the attention OF the motor industry
during the next few years.
The Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion last year held a series of hear.
ings in all parts of the United States
for the purpose of securing data and
opinions in the matter of bus and
truck regulation. Voluminous reports
were compiled, which. when Analysed
revealed that sentiment was strongly
against truck regulation. chiefly be-
cause trucks are more than 80 per
cent owner operated. Buses. on the
other hand, operated on a different
theory and principle, were differently
viewed, and there was a good deal OF
opinion to the effect that these lines
should be under some form of regu
lation.
With the whole question coming be-
fore Congress. it is impossible to tell
| which course action. If any, will take,
Congress may seek more information
| it may go on record as favoring bus
regulation and paying no attention te
trucks; it may do just the opposite. OF
| it may do nothing. But the problem
will come up, because 1t is one which
| Congress apparently is intent on fac
| ing, and the questions involved really
must be thrashed out with the tire
| mendous growth in bus and truck use
| This particular phase of mOtOrdom's
| problem looms up as one of the most
interesting of the forthcoming season
Foreign Roads Vital.
| Foreign relations are becoming al
increasingly important element in the
policy of the automotive industry, anC
during the coming congressional ses
sion authorization will be asked fol
| United States participation In severa
| important conferences of interested
| countries-among them the Interna
tionaI Road Congress and the Pan
American Conference -- thus giving
| America, as the worlds largest pro
ducer of automotive vehicles, an OPP
| portunity to make its constructive in
fiuence felt in these mutual welfare
| so to speak. meetings. The authori
Zation of Congress is necessary to as
sure complete American participation
in these gatherings. and there seems
| little doubt but that benediction viii
| ne given freely.
. While touching upon the subject o.
! foreign relations. ii well might be
emphasized again that the individual
| domestic motor car owner should have
the same keen interest in the growing
! demands by the rest of the world fol
! United States automobiles as does the
| Industry itself. since the matter o
! price is wholly dependent upon thu
maintenance Of production volume
and the FOREIGN field offers an almost
| limitless market.
Roads, OF course. are the funda
mental necessity everywhere the auto
I motive vehicle is to achieve it's fulles
, measure OF usefulness. Therefore
American participation in interna
tional conferences which have for thei
| purpose the more widespread diffusion
Of the good roads movement is of thu
utmost Importance to the American
automotive industry. Foreign road
must come before foreign markets cal
! he exploited TO their greatest potentia
CORA "'ty. a. in cn.li1ne ~E3,c-:,ca";
is'"v tots th's phase of the question
: i5 ca. .,us a.. - c,undcjt steps ar
being taken.
The picture now presented befor
| the opening OF the Seventeen Cor
gresS Is An encouraging one. Will
| important problems remain for solu
ton. it is satisfying to know tina
questions Of equal significance to tn
motorist have been solved in the iegis
llative halls, and that the outlook 70
those in hand is definitely optimistic.