Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-10
ROAD CONGRESS
TO END TONIGHT
Delegates Inspect Tests for
Roads Used in This
/ Country.

Nearing the conclusion of their Ave-
day meeting, delegates to the Sixth In
ternational Road Congress Travelled to
the Arlington Experimental Farm this
morning to visit an exhibition of test
apparatus and procedure Of the division
OF tests of the United States Bureau Of
Public Roads.
Next Meeting inIGermsny.
Final conclusions Of the congress with
respect to numerous reports which have
been made during the week were to be
arrived at this afternoon.
The program today formally con-
cludes the first business meeting OF the
organization held in the Western Hem
isphere and the first meeting of the
Congress since 1926. The group will
convene in Germany for its next con-
gress, probably in four years.
First-hand information about the
highway progress of this Government
and the States, which have today near
ly half of the hard-surfaced roads in
the world, will be afforded beginning
tomorrow, when numerous automobile
tours will get under way. Three Of
these tours will take the visitor through
the Eastern United States, and finally to
Detroit, where inspections will be made
Of the great automobile manufactures.
Final Session Tonight.
Roy D. Chaplin of Detroit. chairman
Of the American organizing commits
sion for the congress, and Thomas H.
Macdonald, chief of the United States
Bureau of Public Roads, planned to
accompany the delegates.
The final session of the congress VIII
be held this evening at o'clock, but
many of the delegates will be together
tomorrow for an excursion by bus to
Annapolis for visit to the United
States Naval Academy. A reception
and luncheon will be rendered them
BY Gov. Albert C. Richie of Maryland
ut the Annapolis Roads Club.
Secretary Hyde Speaks.
Arthur M. Hyde. Secretary of Agri-
culture, was the principal speaker at
q dinner given In honor of the dele
gates last night by the American Or
ranizinR Commission, which made all
ARRANGEMENTS for the meeting. Roy d.
Chaplin, chairman of the commission.
presided at the banquet. which was held
In the willard Hotel.
eminent representatives Of many for
eign peoples that. on economic GROUNDS
alone, ''all the billions which we are
paying out for hard-surfaced roads In
this country are justified"
Bad roads constitute continual
drain upon the resources Of our people,
he said. Every mudhole IN the road,
every ditch across the road, represents
Just one more strain or shock upon the
vehicle, whether wagon, buggy or au-
tomobile. Every such mudhole, ditch or
ledge requires just that much more
energy whether Of horses or gasoline,
70 surmount 1t.
Value Inestimable.
The value of good roads and the
losses due to bad roads cannot be esti-
mated in money, the Secretary said
sour people do not need to be told that
good roads pay" he said. They no
longer ask themselves whether they can
afford to have them; they know by ac-
Sual experience that they cannot AFFORD
to be without them: that they simply
could not live their lives as they want
to live them were it not for the con-
slant, intimate services Of the motor
vehicle and the road.
Good roads have also an interna-
tional implication" Mr.. Hyde stated.
"They are iatchstrings Of hospitality
hung out for visitors to- freely enter
our house. In this spirit we offer you
not only the lessons Of our experience.
but the use Of thesroads we have built.
We wish you complete success with
your own roads program. We want to
use your roads just as we want you to
use ours-not merely as means OF
transportation, but as highways TO
neigflborliness and friendship"
Several foreign delegates responded
TO Secretary Hydeis address, including
Paul Christopher, director general Of
roads, Belgium; Oberbaurat Munster Of
Vienna, Jose r. Spiteri. president Of the
Board Of Hard-surfaced Roads in
Spain, and w. Reese Jeffreys OF the
Road Improvement Association Of
Great Britain.