Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-09-14 | Page 42 | Trip Stresses Road Problem

TRIP STRESSES H01DJWN Motor Transport Convoy Calls Attention to Highway High-way System. "The result of the recent trip of the, transcontinental motor transport convoy con-voy caused the riveting of tho attention of the nation to tho necessity, .because of both commercial and military requirements, require-ments, of country-wide systems of paved highways," said Dr S. M. Johnson John-son last night. Be is official spokesman spokes-man of the convoy who is visiting in Salt Lake for a. few days on his way home. Or. Johnson spoke in highest terms of the reception the convoy received on the l'acific coast. Ilo said that tho convoy arrived a day ahead of schedule and within an hour of the time that the Pacific fleet steamed into San I'rancisco bay. In speaking of the tour, Dr. .fohnson said yesterday: ''There is not the slightest doubt that animal-drawn vehicles will disappear when manufacturers are able to spare the time and funds for placing the road beds in proper conditiou. I was eight hours -on the road from San I'rancisco to Pasadena, and I saw- during the en-tiru en-tiru time only fifteen vehicles drawn by animals and two thousand motor cars. "The motor vehicle is a recognized necessity of modern civilization. $ti,-000,000,000 $ti,-000,000,000 are now invested in tbetn and in five years there will be $20,-000,000,000. $20,-000,000,000. This investment will last twice as long and give better service if suitable roadbeds are provided. "I have not had the slightest difficulty diffi-culty in securing the support of California Cali-fornia and Nevada for the Townsend bill which provides for the appropriation appropria-tion of ft .000. 000,000 for a national road in the next five years. Since the first action for this increased appropriation was taken bv the business associations of Utah, 1 think the support of California Califor-nia and Nevada will be of interest to the people of this state. 'I found the Pacific coast especially interested in the military value of the biuhwavs for obvious reasons. "I expect to return to Washington shortly and arrange for the dedication of the" zero milestone by President Wilson Wil-son and also to press the early passage of tho Townsend bill so that the federal highway commission can .be appointed and all' preliminary arrangements made for the beginning" of the work on the transcontinental highway before next spring. "Last week the American Automo- bile association sent out from Washington Washing-ton to all newspapers, a commendatory report to the eftect that Utah had taken the lead in advocating the $1,000,000,000 appropriation." T)r. Johnson said that last week in San Francisco medals were presented to everv member' of the convoy train bv tho "war department in recognition of the distinguished service of the men.