Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13
MOTORISTS ASSA|L
TOLL ROAD EFFORT
A. A. A. President Declares
Private Projects Would
BE Detrimental.

The battle cry of freedom, as far as
Che highways of the United States are
concerned. resounded in a vigorous dec
laration of national road policy issued
from the headquarters of the American
Automobile Association.
The statement. under signature of
President Thomas P. Henry. was a re-
affirmation Of the associations policy
to fight proposals to foist toll roads on
car owners of the country.
Free highways. continuation of Gov
ernment and State cooperation under
the Federal aid policy, express highways
as needed but under State control and
owned by the people. must be the fun
namental conception underlying and
Enotivating the road policy of the Ma
ton, Mr.. Henry asserted.
1.-THE aggregation of private interests
for charters for toll highways
threatens all these principles" he said.
ut offers a particular threat to the
Federal aid principle which has made
possible vi great interstate highways"
Urges States Stand Fast.
Pointing out that at the moment at
torneys for corporations are planning TO
appear before legislatures to secure
charters, preliminary to buying rights
of-way for toll roads, the American
Automobile Association president urged
the States to stand fast by the free
principle and warned them against any
move that will tend to ALLEVIATE the
rights-of-way that are vital to the con-
Struction of the roads of the future.
He continued:
THE States must not lose sight Of
the fact that money to build new roads
can be secured by the State itself at a
SAa1Yah 1OuEar 1TyorI,onI 0oek %Iovn a. ,nx~
be secured by private interests. while at
the same time, the capital fioated by
the State on sound financial principles
is a bulwark rather than a competitive
threat to the hundreds of millions of
dollars Of State road bonds now out
standing.
Many of the projects advanced for
toll roads SAVIOR of real estate ventures,
which would strike at the very fonda
ton of Americas investment of ten bill
lion dollars in highways in less than
10 years. OF this amount, the car
owners have contributed more than five
billion in taxes and have thereby gained
a right to be heard when any road
policy is involved.
Different Conditions Abroad.
"Widely advertised profits to be
reaped from toll bridge franchises and
the steady increase in the number of
motor vehicles has led to this agitation
for toll highways. There has also been
advanced the success of toll roads
abroad, but as a matter of fact, the
development of such roads is negligible.
There are two such roads operated in
Italy. Others of limited mileage are
underway. The conception of the
Italian 'autostrada' is primarily a road
reserved for motor vehicle traffic. an
outgrowth of the prevalence of slow
moving animal-drawn traffic and pedes-
trians. Such conditions do not prevail
IN this country.
Likewise in England there are a few
toll roads, but these are old and there
is nothing to justify the belief that
England win grant franchises for
private toll roads on an extended scale.
While it is true that the highways
are ~congested and there is a crying need
for more roads, eighteenth century
methods must not be employed to Sc
cure them"
"President-elect Hoover said: This
Administration has recognized the public
necessity of Federal contribution to the
creation of a definite system of modern,
interstate highways. This program is
Tar from completion and I stand for
It's continuance
Continuation of the Federal aid
policy on an enlarged scale is the
answer to those seeking to build private
fortunes through toll roads. Organized
motordom will oppose to the limit any
interference with the principles of free
highways"