Smyrna times., 1929-07-10
ROADS MADE LIKE OTHER
FABRICS, SAYS CHAS. UPHAM
SAME IN MANU-
FEATURING ENTERPRISES
Expansion of Roads Can Be Ac-
complished by Money and Distri-
button of Highway Information


1.-The manufacturing of good
roads differs little in basic princi-
pies from any private manufactur-
ing enterprises, declares Charles
M. Upham, director of the Amer
lean Road Builders Association,
formerly chief engineer of the
State Highway Department in Del
aware. THE wise expenditure of
public funds depends entirely on
whether these principles are fol-
lowed or ignored" he adds. 1T
has been proven beyond question in
many States that huge sums may
be expended for highways, under
business management, without
waste, the investment bringing
highly satisfactory returns in de-
creased transportation costs and
generally increased prosperity. The
expansion of this condition, coun-
try-wide, can best be accomplished
by distribution of highway educa-
tional information. Without this
knowledge, funds are wasted, ex-
pansion is restricted and highway
industrial stagnation ensues." The
needs of the nation for highway de
velopment, Upham finds. call for
greater activity in the industry and
unceasing educational effort to
awaken the people to highway
needs and highway possibilities.
Among the needs cited are high
speed bypass arteries around large
population centers, grade separa-
tions at intersections, elimination
Of bottle necks", addition of more
exit and entrance roads to cities,
widening programs, to a minimum
40 feet width in the vicinity of
large cities, financing and develop
ment of the rural highways and
farm to market" roads, greater
use of highway bonds for financing
State and county road building
programs. County highway con
struction, finance, and administra-
ton presents broad field for
study and Investigation, he de-
clares. Until the problems con
fronting many counties are solved
by application of educational infor-
nation, funds for highway i'm
provement will be lacking and the
neglected and much needed farm
to market roads will be slow in
nlaterializing. There are 100000
miles of rural highways in this
country, 100000 miles of which are
improved to some extent. Less
than half of this mileage is paved.
This, in conjunction with 10000
miles unimproved of the total 3O0,-
600 miles on the State systems pre-
sents huge program for the road
builder. Looking at the gas tax
from the standpoint of
car upkeep and per capita share Of
highway costs, the expense even at 4
the maximum rate constitutes a
very low road toll. The car own I
ers in the two-cent tax States, bas- 4
ed on tax income and the number 4
Of registered cars, pay 1858 aver
age annual tax; the three-cent 4
group pays S13.85; the four-cent
group pays S21.34; and the five
cent group pays S22.43. The av-
erage for all is S15.O9 per car own
ar per year. Most opposition to
this form of road toll has develop
I'd in localities where the tax has
been used for other than highway
purposes. The toll amounts, at
most. to about 1-3 of a cent per H,
nile on the car which gets Is miles
p the gallon of gasoline and paws I
cents for gas tax. Where the tax
s lower. or the car mileage per
gallon higher, the toll is cores
'ondingly lower. In any case the
oil is easily absorbed in lessened |
iost of upkeep of a car which is
lriven over improved roads. The /
highway constructed today is bet s
er and cheaper than that of a few !
rears ago.