Evening star., 1933-07-02
In the Motor World
BY G. ADAMS HOWARD.
URING the month Of May there
were 218,171 automobiles sold
in the United States, accord

~ URING the month of May there
were 21s,l71 automobiles sold
in the United States, accord
ing to official reports of the
s. Bureau of Census of the De-
partment OF Commerce. OF this total,
184578 were passenger cars, 33,539
were trucks and 81 taxicabs
This number compares with 180.667
vehicles in April of this year and 1884,
295 in May, 1882 For the first five
months of this year 753658 vehicles
were sold, against 688.342 during the
first five months of 1882.
real sign of business pickup in
the automotive industry is shown. May
it continue to step on the gas.
Road Building Program.
The becalmed road building industry
Is all set to embark on the largest ma
tional bodybuilding program the world
has ever known, declares Charles M.
Upham, executive director of the Amer
lean Road Builders Association.
The minimum of S400,000,000 made
available for road construction by the
Federal Government can be placed at
work without loss of time says Mr..
Upham.
so far in 1888 road construction has
been marking time awaiting Federal
money. Nevertheless, State and local
road officials have been getting their
plans in readiness.
Because of this preparedness the
road-building industry can be expected
to provide immediate employment for
thousands and thousands of men.
The widespread employment Of
fered by road building and its pre-
paredneSs were recognized in Congress
by the removal of the limitation on
highway funds. BY setting minimum
of S400, 100000 for roads, Congress has
indicated possibly much more than that
will be spent for roads. This is graft
flying in the face of current road needs
evidenced by congestion, accidents and
high motor travel costs in many areas.
1T is. indeed. fortunate that high
way building can again proceed at
rapid pace because news from Detroit
and other motor cities indicates de-
cided pickup in the automobile market.
The industrial recovery act not only
provides for the road surface improve
ment, but also for bridges. separated
highway and street intersections, street
improvement. widened roads and streets
and all facilities that make for safety
and lessened congestion.
Such a program is Justified even
under normal conditions, but with the
need for jobs now so pronounced, the
Federal road program becomes doubly
important. 1t warrants full support by
every responsible citizen and all public
officials"
Highway Benefits Cited.
Hard business facts-the profitable
ness of the highway to the user-wiil
dominate highway planning from now
on" declared Edward J. Mehren. preSl-
dent of the Portland Cement Associa-
tion, in his address to the American
Society of Civil Engineers gathered in
Chicago during Engineering week OF the
Worlds Fair
I'VE are beyond the day of emotional
appeal in highways" Mr.. Mehren said.
Throughout his address Mr.. Mehren
spoke of the necessity Of placing all the
facts about highways before the pub
lie. He compared highway transporta-
tion with railroad transportation. show
ing that highways have been without
leader. while railroads have accom-
plished a great deal for themselves by
a unified, well directed campaign to tell
their story to the people.
BY contrast, notice the vigor. per-
sistence and success of railroad propa-
agnda during this crisis" he said.
They have pleaded well their own
straitened circumstances, so well that
they have been able to draw heavily
from the Federal Treasury to save
themselves from default. While in the
very act of using this Federal finan
cial aid they have builded a backflre
of criticism against the highway sys-
TEN owned by the very people whose