Evening star., 1936-04-05


cials and highway contractors. All
sessions will be held at the Willard
Hotel, which will be headquarters for
the annual meeting.
The opening event of the program
will be golf tournament at the Con-
gressional Country Club. All members
of the association in attendance are
invited to participate in the golf tour
nament. Charles M. Upham. engi-
neer-director Of the association, has
requested that all who wish to take
part in the tournament communicate
with him, 952 National Press Building,
Washington, as early as possible so
that they may obtain their guest cards.
Business sessions will open at 10
m Thursday, April 16, at which time
there will be a joint session of the in
coming and outgoing boards of direc-
tors of the association. Boards Of the
divisions will meet Thursday and Fri
day.
The Presidents supper. at 1880 pm.
Thursday, will be one of the outstand-
ing events of the annual program.
Col. Willard T. Chevalier, vice presi-
dent of McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.,
New York City, will be inaugurated as
president of the American Road Build
ers' Association, succeeding William P.
Mcdonald, president of William P.
Mcdonald Construction Co., Flushing.
NY. Col. Chevalier will speak on the
current highway situation at the morn
ing session Thursday.
Business sessions will be devoted to
discussions of plans and policies for
the year ahead, with particular en-
phasis upon procedure for carrying
out the platform for American high
way development as adopted by the
A. R. B. A. at its annual convention
in Cleveland January "a, 1886.
1t is expected that approximately
200 leaders of the highway industry
and profession from all sections Of
the United States will attend the an
nual meeting in April.
Il X II n
Highway officials and the motoring
public throughout the United States
are organizing more completely than
at any time in the past for a con-
certed, unrelenting campaign to curb
diversion of highway revenues for pur-
poses other than road building and
maintenance, according to Mr.. Upham.
MIR. Upham, accompanied by Mr.. Nc
Donald, president, and Col. Chevalier,
has just completed speaking tour
in five Southern States, with diversion
of highway revenues and methods Of
curbing this practice as one of the
major topics discussed with road build
ers in each State.
Col. Chevalier, appearing as princi-
pal speaker on Highway Program"
meetings in Miami, Fla; Montgomery,
Ala; Atlanta, Ca; Columbia, S. c.,
and Raleigh, N. c., told those assem-
bled at each Of the meetings that the
only excuse that public officials can
give for diverting highway revenues
for other purposes is ''the same excuse
given by pickpockets and embezzlers-
that they need the money"
officials of the A. R. B. A. are plan
ming similar meetings in numerous
other States and expressed deter
mination to conduct fight to the
finish against the use of highway
revenues for any purpose other than
road building. Mr.. Upham asserted
that sentiment against diversion of
motor vehicle license fees and gasoline
taxes is aroused from coast to coast.
Il II "
Urging that all highway industries
approach the automobile accident
problem with strict appreciation Of the
fact that better highways do not
necessarily mean safe highways, 3. L.
Boye OF Socony Vacuum and president
of the Asphalt Institute, asserted to-
day that pedestrian protection by
means of highway sidewalks was
needed more than grade crossing elimi-
nation.
"The real goal to be achieved" stated |
the head of the institute, is greater |
safety for the pedestrian and the re-
duction Of automobile collisions-not |
through offering additional induce
ments to speed, but by diffusing traffic |
over much larger network Of all
weather roads.
1--WE should recognize the benefits of (
wide pavements, free from curves or
intersections, where the benefits are
commensurate with the necessary out
lay, but at the same time we should, |
in the interests of the public welfare |
admit the ascertained fact that about |
81 per cent Of all automobile accidents |
occur on modern, improved types Of |
highway, with so per cent of acci- |
dents on straight roads free from in
tersections.
"By all means let us have good high
ways, but don't let's confuse engineer
ing and traffic problems with the prob |
lem of death and injury prevention |
per se-and don't let's lose of sense Of |
proportion"
MIR. Boye pointed out that much is |
heard about grade-croSsing elimina-
tion as a death preventive and that |
the highway bill just reported to the |
Senate carries $50,000,000, which sup
plements the $3.50, 100000 already pro-
vided for that purpose. Yet he stated,
only six-tenths of / per cent Of all |
highway accidents involved collision
with a railroad train in 1885, as COM
pared with 40.5 per cent of all acci-
dents (68 times the number of grade
crossing accidents) involving collisions
with pedestrians. According to Mr..
Boye, 1,440 people were killed at grade
crossings, as compared with 1860
pedestrians and bicyclists who were
killed last year.
"By pedestrians I mean people who
are compelled to walk on highways.
This naturally means children as well
as adults. We must not forget that
in 1885 $3.50 children were killed play
ing in the streets or highways, or
walking to and from schools, along the
highways, and 112,780 children were
injured In like manner. How large a
proportion Of these casualties were on
country highways cannot be definitely
stated. but, in general, not less than