The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-05
TIERNEY BACKS
500 Foot Stretches To Cross Nation;
 Jobs For Millions
Arthur S. Baldwin, Famous Engineer, Designs Plan Hoover Gets Layout Considered One of Most Stupendous Projects in C0untrys History

Congressman W. L. Tierney of Greenwich, democrat, has 1ntro- duced at Washington, D. C., a na- tional defense highway bill and much interest in whether 1t will pass or not is being expressed on all sides. The bill is based on the unemployment and business. relief program of Arthur g. Baldwin, consulting engineer of Stratford, and calls for the expenditure of seven billion dollars for q self supporting federal express highway systen.
 According to the provisions of the bill the financing Is to be ar- ranged on the credit of the federal government and all bonds issued are to be redeemed out of tolls to be charged for use of the high ways. Upon repayment of the con- struction costs, the toll charges would be eliminated and the high ways maintained from the sale of gasoline and other concession revenue.
 The plan contemplates system of 14,300 miles of wide, smooth and level trunk line highways. The graded rigit.of-way would be 500 feet in width with ample space at all points for the landing of air- craft. Tn the center there would be constructed . concrete roadway 900 feet in width with ten or more trafiic lanes in each direction.
 It is claimed that the project differs from others in that tolls would repay the cost of construc- ton and the expense would not come out of the people by direct taxation. No highways would be built until q survey had been made and 1t had been decided that the road would be self-supporting.
 It Is figured that the adoption of this stupendous program would produce q shortage of labor in this country within one year. Eighty per cent of the total construction costs would represent wages cre- ated by the plan. Three million men would be given employment directly on. the highways and 1t Is figured that the effect of this in- creased purchasing power would be industries. Active stimulation of various industries would follow. 1t is believed, such as the automobile IE&0vb SHo btvvt gugAASob ~Aso " ss
 MT Baldwin's plan was present. cd to President Hoover about q year ago and since that time the various engineering features of the plan have been under conBideraJ ton. The bill, if passed, would re- suit in the establishment of the National Defense Highway Cor iporation, similar in It's admlnistra- tive set-up to that of the Recon- struction Finance Corporation.
 4 board of five and an advisory board consisting of members of the presidents cabinet and the chair man of the interstate commerce commission would direct the cor- poration's activities and the project would be financed by the issuance of bonds guaranteed by the United states government. The United states would subscribe Q capital fund of $260.000, 900. The bonds issued from time to time would be redeemabie in cash ct the option of the corporation or convertible into stock of tho corporation carrying q higher annual return. Tho bonds would not be dumped" on the market. It Is figured that the en- tire construction program would take $ to 10 years to carry out.
 one of tho interesting features of the bill is q provision safeguard-