Evening star., 1932-01-31
BY THOMAS II. MACDONALD,

Chief, United States Bureau of Public Roads.
MGcDondId's address before the recent
Conrention Of American Road Builders
IN Detroit.
The theme of the exhibit of the Bu-
eau Of Public Roads for the Twenty
ninth Annual Convention and Road
Show of the American Road Builders
Association, is the physical relationships
of the highway and the motor vehicle.
That it is now possible to portray these
relationships is an accomplishment OF
research which has taken years to de-
NelOp to the point that we can talk
about them in definitely measured
terms with a high degree of confidence.
But 1t would be a narrow viewpoint
that would attempt to limit the achieve
ments of highway transport over the
past decade to narrow mathematical
terms Of technical research.
Projects Undertaken.
Again. under the emergency appropri-
alton provided to advance the Federal
aid road program of the past year, there
were undertaken 2,2I6 projects, totaling
over $4,000 miles of road in 1927 COun-
ties. or only a little less ratio than a
project to every other county. This
was a part of the whole Federal aid
road program undertaken and does not
include the work done without Federal
funds by the States cities counties or
local communities.
In a year when there was so much
unemployment. under the State and
State-Federal road program, during the
Summer months when it is possible to
employ the maximum number of men
IN highway construction. upward OF
100000 men were given work and an
equivalent distribution Of wages to at
least double this number to those en-
plOyed in the production and tranSpOr-
tatiCn Of materials and in other lines
aCtiVated by the road funds.
There is general agreement among the
highway officials Of the country that SO
to 80 per cent Of the road dollar is
eventually distributed back to labor and
personnel employment.
The emergency appropriation called
for $50 100000 with a time limit of
September l. So vigorously was the
program pursued by all connected with
it. that less than 5000 600. composed of
small balances, remained uneXpended
when the appropriation expired. The
emergency projects alone put under way
for the first six months of 1881, called
for an estimated total expenditure OF
S256000 900. This was great demon
ing agencies of the Nation road officials
engineers and contractors, to put under
way quickly and carry forward rapidly
q largely expanded road program.
Real Significance.
Such an accomplishment as this. how
ever. does not measure the real sig
nifCance Of what has taken place in the
highway field. A recital of facts anC
figures is of doubtful use in pOrtraying
a broad and definite idea of the real ac-
Complishment in the highway transport
field over approximately. the past
decade.
For nearly two years there has beer
such a tremendous amount Of false in
formation circulated with reference tC
the utilization of the highways and the
dslocation of the prior flow lines Of
traffic, that it seems an opportune time
to present, without COmpliCatlng the
discussion with these argumentative
issues. some aspects which are of faI
greater Importance to the public as g
whole than the questions which have
been so prominent in the public press
and elsewhere.
Fer many years road contractors
manufacturers and producers Of al
kinds Of equipment, supplies anC
IldJtIIdLo 4OI lOaNl OOI4NJA "a llOlJ I'D Nt
been highly important fac-O OrS in OuI
economic structure for the employment
of labor, and during the past two years
this Importance has been relatively
greater than at any time previously
We come to the present time, however
with much greater uncertainty thar
has heretofore existed as to the future
Much of this uncertainty has beer
brought about b. the emphasis which
has been placed upon a relatively
small part of the use of the highways
that is, that part of highway usage
which is competitive with other trans
portatiOn agencies-Which serve Il
cloud the future of new highway build.
ing
Controversial Aspects.
These controversial aspects, projected
into a situation already becoming en-
barraSSing by the depletion CT the pub.
liz road revenues and the necessity 0.
limitations upon property taxes. have
produced an uncertainty and lack o
confidence on the part OF the road
building industry as to the future.
Ii is not my intention to enter mt
q detailed discussion, or to bring into
detailed discussion, or to bring lnt(
this paper any attempted reply to the
controversial questions of the utlllza'
ton of the various types of transporta'
ton available. There are four aspects
however, which I wish to place briefly
before the road building industry. II