The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-14
HIGHWAY USERS
 ADOPT PROGRAM
Diversion of Funds Op. posed; Compulsory In.
 surance Not Favored

HArtfNrd, NOV, l&=AV MCVNAls Of the Connecticut Highway Users Conference today to discuss war time problems effeetine highway users. the organization adopted an eanht noint wartime program in an- eacination of the le4S session oG the Connecticut legislature,
 The meeting, preceded by a luncheon. was held this afternoon al the Gar6e hotel, Hartford, and was attended hy representatives ot Che leading highway users oreeni- rations In the state, such as the automobile clubs, State Grange, truck organizations and aotomoel'e dealer associations
 Edgar l.. Tucker of shelton, chairman of the Connecticut High. way Users Conference, announced che adoption by those present ot Che following program;
 1. Oppose any diversion ot nigh say funds,
 c state highway budget to be
 kept within limit of current ao- eomotive tax revenue without any Increased automotive taxes,
 s. Opposition 10 state automo- Alle insurance fund or compulsory insurance. ,---
 4 Puelicat,ons of . long-ranee highway improvement plan - to DC based on state .wtoe highway plan ning survey. -..-
 a Conservation Of operation of motor vehicles to be for duration of rubber shortage only,
 a Onposition to Federal auto notayW tax increase and repeal ot game as soon as possible.
 [. Support of Baruch ccmmit- tees recommendation to increase Wvnthetie rubber production to over enc million tons per year.
 a Any surplus which may be ae- cnrnulated in the highway fund during the war shall be saved Tor rost-@ar highway improvement,
 Russell MacCleery of Tilton, New xrampshire, New England repre- sentative of the National Highway usera Conference, spoke to the mrouu on wartime problems affect- anR highway users both at Wash anrton and in the states.
 lie declared that while at the beginning of war certain of1ctaS at Washington did not recognize the importance of highway trans portation to our war effort, now fhese same officials agree that We cannot win the war without the assistance of highway transporta- ton"
 He asserted that, ''The mere fact that in normal times necessary travel ir our passenger cars amounts = to three and one-half times the travel in all other forms of travel combined is evidence that mass transportation facilities cannot ham, de the passenger travel which must be done during the war time. Sur veys have shown that airplaneS and machine tools cannot be built in Connecticut If the workers in these sulants have to rely on public trans mpurtation facilities alone for getting to and from their work.
 He complimented highly the Baruch committees report calling for an increase in the production of synthetic rubber, production to over i. 900 900 tons per year and ad- vocated that Rubber Director Jef- fers should be given complete CO., nneration by the War Production Roard in the granting of priorities for the construction of plants neces- < aary to produce this amount of rub her." He warned that measures neressary to conserve our present ~snck of rubber until such time as wvnthetic rubber Is available should he imposed through wartime power of governors rather than enacted as laws by the state legislators,
 If they are enacted into laws, he recommended that they should be g ~nacted for the duration Of the rub her ahortage and not for the cura- ton of the war.
 He urged Connecticut groups to wurk for publication of long-range nlvhway improvement program as s nnsn as possible so that when the &hova come marching home the state mrfii bs ready to tackle the postwar ssneunnioyment problem through the rnnstructson of much needed high ways. ,. .. nurDlus accumulated from highway @~~s9 collected during the war shossid he saved for postwar high ! way improvements.
 Gecrge A. Cromie. representing z ssne oonuecticut Pay-Ridc Plan. out lined the plan which his group has fnr khe charging of fares for the ~sss1al carrying of passengers in pri- vafa automobiles while the trans .nrfafion emergency exists. Af an election held at the close of the meeting. Edgar l.. Tucker, oi shelton, was reelected chairman en6 0eurge L. Benedict. Jr. Of syarts0rd was elected secretary to m fha place left vacant by Ned 3 WaiIace Of the Hartford Automobile eis.h who has entered the army.