Evening star., 1934-02-18
be convention o. the American Road

the convention OF the American ROAD
Builders Association convention re-
Gently held In Chicago emphasized
the need for continued highway Inn
provement, citing the fact that there
remain 1000, 900 miles, or about two
thirds Of the Nations road mileage,
not yet reached by road Improvement.
Also, many miles partially improved
to this date need further attention II
hazards to highway safety are to be
eliminated and the convenience Of
highway travel adequately served.
Facts and figures were given to
show that 1t Is reasonable and possible
to have less mud to plow through on
secondary roads and fewer accidents
on the main roads II properly planned
and adequately financed programs are
conducted for the orderly Improvement
and maintenance Of the highways Of
the entire United States.
To gain these ends 1t was shown
that there should be q fixed national
policy toward highways.
The association, by resolution,
pledged its support for the Federal
Governments projected long range
planning of Governmental construc.
ton. especially as 1t relates to the CO.
ordination Of the highway systems Of
the Federal, State and various other
governmental units.
Another resolution adopted at the
convention urges Congress to authorize,
at the earliest possible time, additional
funds for highway construction set
ting as q goal the sum Of $400. 900, 900
for the fiscal year 1885, which would
equal the amount appropriated for the
present fiscal year under the national
recovery act.
Employment Importance Seen.
Emphasizing the importance Of con-
tinued employment through public
works construction this resolution
urges that additional highway activity
be approved now to allow ample time
for the preparation and Inauguration
of additional highway projects by the
States in an orderly and timely man.
ner without cessation Of construction
activity.
One Of the resolutions places the
Road Builders Association on record
as indorsing the principles embodied
in the Hayden road bill, now pending
in the Senate, the revive the routine
Federal aid appropriation sidetracked
because OF the recovery act. The Hay
den bill would appropriate, In addi-
tion to any emergency appropriations
otherwise made. the sum Of $l25 5.000,-
600 annually for each Of the next two
fiscal years under the established Fed
eral aid plan which requires the States
to match the Federal allotments and
to maintain their existing highways
at a high state of efficiency, proU-
sions which were not included In the
recovery act emergency appropriations
made primarily for relief purposes.
In order to carry out these pro-
grams, especially those portions which
relate primarily to work with State,
county and municipal funds, the asso-
citation, In resolution. unalterably
opposed the diversion Of funds derived
from gasoline and motor vehicle
licenses for purposes other than road
and street construction, repair and
modernization.
The financial structure Of the high
way program also win be aided by the
association through its demand for .
liberalization Of the policies involved
in the approval Of non-Federal works
projects Of cities and counties under
the p. w. A.
The road builders by resolution
commended the Public Works Ad-
ministration and the Bureau Of Public
Roads for their intelligent direction
Of the highway work of current
P. w. A. program and pointed out
that "in order to continue the COM
mendable work of the Public Works
Administration" a renewal Of the
present years appropriation at least
Is necessary to provide for forest, park,
Indian reservation and unreserved
public land roads as well Is roads on
the national Feieral-aid system.
It was brought out at the convention
that highway construction, forming
the largest item Of the p. w. A. pro-
gram gives the quickest and most
widespread means Of employment to
the largest number Of workers, while
at the same time providing Q civic
investment Of unsurpassed permanent
value both from the economic and
social stapdpoints.