Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-29
PROCEEDS FROM SALE OF WAR
:. GOODS SOUGHT AS ROAD FUND
Browne Bill Asks $4O7, 100000 Received
From France Be Allotted to
: - States for Highways. =

| rfAge of Federal plans. woulu nave oecn
| in cSnlmksidn, since the Summer OF
1919: building good roads in tue on''e0
$500 dump wagons.
524 caterpillar tractors. S-ton.
l.o35 caterpillar tractors. lotion.
$500 trailers for tractors:
| 500 miles industrial railway track.
900 industrial railway locomotives.
$500 industrial railway dump cars.
IS donkey engines, rs gasoline en-
gines.
200 hosting engines, to 80 horse
400 road rollers. = - IL.
500 fEk crushers. complete outn's
80 lbs to 200 tons capacity.
200 zoo s stssm shss s,sm ,,el orange.
peel. bottom dump. :,
so excavators, caterpillars and
drag-line.
100 plie-drivers. complete outfits.
400 elevating graders.
700 concrete mixers.
zoo motor driven road oilers. 40.
IS diaphragm pumps. $50 centrI-
ugal pumps. $50 steam pumps,
and inches.
Sustains Big Loss.
Think what a loss this country has
sustained by failure to get that equip
msnt. It takes machinery to bulio
roads. If what We got did so much'
how much more would have been ac-
complished by what We failed 10 get
We have lost billions through the Sefl-
Gus delay thus caused In road puiloiIis'
The United States holds 4o7 "oph-
cations" or bonds of the French gov
Eminent covering the sale. bearing >
ner cent interest and maturing IN 1873
and 1880. This was purely CONNER
ciaI transaction, entered into after the
war. We sold and France bought an
invoice of over two billion dollars lot
s4o7, 0O0, 900, and this was aosoiule!s
new merchandise. France SOLO sohis
of this property. which was fesolu -,
Chicago. New Orleans ana eiSe"nG.e
at pyramided prices to people WIZ
should have had 1t for no'nnts' 4, is
was a sale of merchandise. ana IL
not customary to sell merchandise OH
10 wears time and then extend time oi
payment 50 years longer. -.
when the bonds mature. the oeW
should be paid. If longer time Is re,
CURED the interest might be reduced
tn current rates and amortization ar
ranged in annual payments over nVe-
year period. If the Browne bill passes
and this item is handled in this way
we will get this money. If 1t is LETT as
It is. included in the billions OF war
loans. we will probably lose II; me
bill. therefore, will be dlpiomauc
method of rescuing something from lhe
wreckage of the World war.
will demonstrate that circumstances
cannot thwart its will. It willeo 70
make certain use Of its property, but
circumstances prevented. Since the
nronerty could not be devoted TO TINS
purpose. the United States can carry out
its original intention by devoting TO the
purpose the proceeds Of the sale OF the
II / give you something, the gift rep.
resenting deliberate forethought ana
fixed purpose and not merely within,
and If before can place the gift In your
hands an agent of mine sells It. would
try to carry out my original intention BY
giving you the proceeds OF the sale. IN
order that you might, II possible, 90 WIN
the proceeds what you would have done
with the gift itself, DR.. johnson oe-
clared.
Sponsored by Group.
It should be clearly understood that
the proposal did not emanate from the
governors and State highway depart
ments. II originated with ourselves-tne
good roads people, who were responsive
for the salvaging OF war stocks for high.
way work We wrote the governors ana
State roads departments asking them
II they would join us In a united enort
for the French money: they said tney
would, most OF them. Thereupon the
! American Motorists Association decided
nd innkpd
over the membership Of the House ana
selected Mr.. Browne to act for US. He
was one of the leading men In the prep
aration and passage Of the Bankhead-
| Shackelford act The happy solution
| of the problem Of how TO distribute Fed
erai aid. on the basis Of area. population
and mileage of post roads. was his idea.
This, then, is an effort TO retrieve
miscarriage Of plans. due TO which we
are far behind in transportation faciii-
| ties. and TO make up for lost time by
| utilizing a situation where We can save
millions that otherwise viii go glimrner-
ing-an opportunity TO build roads
wholesale without adding TO the tax
burden.
Without any OF the above considera-
tons. and even at the cost OF IN.
creased taxation, this Congress should
do at least this much TO speed road
construction. Why? On grounds OF
| thrift and economy. To provide for
| the national security. To reduce the
cost OF the delivery Of mail To facili-
tate intercourse. essential TO the ma
tional unity. To prevent waste. II the
$407 ,000. 900 aan be otherwise collected
and II applied 10 retiring Liberty bonds
"a saving OF 334 per cent interest yill
be effected. II. however. II Is put into
good roads it will effect a saving 10
times as great. We have $40 000y 600, 600
| invested In automobiles. On good roads
/ they will last six years. on bad roads