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Show MAINTENANCE IS A PROBLEM Under Constant Flow of Heavy Traffic Main Trunk Lines Have Been Badly Broken Up. Following the extension of the use of motortrucks for overland travel In the endeavor to relieve the railroads of the burden of strenuous wartime traffic, under which they have been laboring, it is but natural that the question of highway maintenance should come up for attention at thia time. It is now conceded that much has been done through the use of motor-propelled motor-propelled vehicles over the through connected' highways of the country for the purposes mentioned above. Literally thousands of heavy motortrucks motor-trucks are now upon the road, mate-rially mate-rially speeding up the delivery of wartime war-time necessities. The Lincoln highway, high-way, particularly In the Eastern states, has proved its high value over and Dver again; other trunk highways have also been called upon to carry an exceptional ex-ceptional burden of this freight traffic. This movement has all been carried car-ried on with the absolute approval o the federal government, and more, through the activities of the highway transport committee of the council of national defense, a further extension of this use of our public highways Is being urged. Under this constant flow of traffic the Lincoln highway, and certain other roads In the Last, are rapidly breaking break-ing down, the road surface rapidly disintegrating dis-integrating under the pressure of , the driving wheels of the massive trucks. Cp to the time when truck trains were started over the roads, the Lincoln highway in its entirety across the state of Pennsylvania, was a veritable boulevard ; its surface was, In the main, macadam; the road was the pride of the state of Pennsylvania ; large sums were expended in Its careful care-ful maintenance expended by the -V'"''-' .... v V,r . v fr j- ' rs i I.; Patrolman Patching State Road. state, and the highway well served Its purpose In carrying local and tourist tratlie In relatively light vehicles. Similar Simi-lar conditions applied along the I.in-:oln I.in-:oln highway in New Jersey. The argument Is advocated at this time that, despite the Inclination of local authorities to do everything within their power In a patriotic endeavor en-deavor to further wartime interests, it Is scarcely fair to expect the county nnd state authorities to maintain such main traveled routes as the Lincoln highway, In their pre-war condition, con-dition, under the heavy tratlie of constantly con-stantly moving government vehicles. Government aid Is solicited to keep the roads at their best. So persistent have become complaints com-plaints to congress that the highways f the country have been badly damaged dam-aged by motortruck tratlie that some members, especially those serving on ."onunlttecs dealing with the nation's tlnanclal affairs, are making a thorough thor-ough study to determine how the situation situ-ation can best be met. As a result it Is expected that, congress will soon re-,-olvo requests to make appropriations running into the millions. The house committee on ways and means has already al-ready given some consideration concerning con-cerning aid to be given the slates In road Improvement. It Is but reason-abb" reason-abb" lo expect that the federal government, govern-ment, will take such steps as are necessary nec-essary for an equitable apportionment nf tin- burden of expense of maintaining maintain-ing such Important routes of travel as Ihe Lincoln highway. |