Evening star., 1935-01-22
TAX DIVERSION HIT
BY ROAD BUILDERS
Capt. WhitehurSt Says AS
soCiation Will Fight
This Practice.

A spirited fight against diversion OF
gasoline taxes and motor licenses ices
to purposes other than road building
will be carried on by the American
Road Builders Association, holding its
annual convention in the Willard
Hotel for four days this week, Capt.
H. c. WhitehurSt, president of the
association and director of the Dist
rict of Columbia highways, told the
delegates at the opening general
session this afternoon.
Highway Exhibit Opened.
The general session was preceded by
the meeting of the board of directors
of the association at 10 am. and the
opening of the elaborate highway ex
hibit on the tenth floor of the hotel
at am. The convention, which will
bring nearly 1000 city, county and
State officials, highway engineers,
manufacturers and representatives of
allied trades and others interested in
road building to Washington, will last
through Friday.
Capt. Whitehurst told the delegates
that the association must carry on
road building campaign in every State
in order that the aims of the organi-
Zation might be achieved. These aims
include the elimination of sharp
curves and dangerous grades; super
elevation of curves with widening where
necessary; widening of highways which
have become inadequate to carry safety
and quickly the volume of traffic;
construction of arterial highways
through metropolitan areas and by
pass highways around metropolitan
areas; elimination of grade crossings;
replacement of narrow (bottleneck)
bridges with a travelway at least as
wide as the roadway, and the moderni-
cation and improvement of municipal
thoroughfareS.
The speaker hailed the HAYDEN
Cartwright act as a signal victory for
advocates of gasoline and automobile
taxes for road purposes. He said this
bill had had a beneficial effect in
many of the States by putting a
check rein on State officials who seek
Government funds, but that much
was yet to be desired.
All States Represented.
Every State and the District of Co.
1umbia had a good representation at
the convention. Hundreds of visitors
saw the comprehensive highway ex-
hibit on the tenth floor.
Mexico is represented at the con-
Vention by Eduardo VillaSenor, rep
resenting the Department of the In
terror of Mexico; Ing. Guillermo
Gonzalez de Alcala, son of the di-
rector of communications of Mexico.
and Jose Rivera R, secretary gen.
eral Of the Mexican Automobile As
sociation. Tom Williams. highway
contractor of Monterey, Mexico. will
talk to the delegates about contract
ing conditions in Mexico, and William
Harrison Furlong of San Antonio,
Tex, will discuss the American
highway into Mexico.
Schedule for Tomorrow.
The convention will open for its sec
ond day at 9 am. tomorrow with visits
to the highway exhibit on the tenth
noor. AT 10 am. the annual meeting
of the manufacturers division High
way Industries AsSociation) will be
held in the Fairfax room. The meet
ing of the board of directors, city Off
Gals division, will be held at the same
time
Other speakers at the afternoons
general session were Commissioner
Melvin C. Hazen, who welcomed the
delegates to the city; Senator Carl
Hayden of Arizona, Thomas H. Mac
Donald, chief of the Bureau of Public
Roads, United States Department of
Agriculture; Frederic A. Delano,
chairman of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission. and
Arthur W. Brandt, president of the
American Association of State High
way officials, of Albany, Ny