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Show IMPROVED ROADS HELP MOTORISTS "Motorists of the United States save annually 51,630,000,000 in operating oper-ating costs due to the construction of 236,000 miles of gravel and hard-surfaced hard-surfaced roads," declares William H. Connell, president of the American Road Builders' association. Mr. Connell Con-nell points out that the saving in motor vehicle operating costs exceeds the annual cost of improving the highways high-ways every year. In his own state of Pennsylvania, he reports that the owners of motor vehicles saved $51,-750,000 $51,-750,000 by operating over 4,500 miles of hard surface in 1925 and only paid the state $20,500,000 in registration fees and gasoline taxes to support the construction and maintenance of the highway system, leaving them a net saving of $22,250,000. "Pennsylvania today is operating on a basis that the user pays all costs for constructing -and maintaining the state highway system. Motor license receipts and the proceeds from the gasoline tax are used exclusively for highway purposes and these funds pay the entire cost of nil construction and maintenance, as well as all departmental depart-mental salaries and wages ; in fact, all highway expenses. New construction construc-tion is financed principally by bond Issues, but the interest and sinking fund charges are paid from the motor receipts. ''The figures which have been stated as to the saving to the owners of motor mo-tor vehicles by the construction of improved roads have definitely justified justi-fied the adoption of the principle in Pennsylvania that the user should pay for the road and when this idea has been universally adopted the entire highway business will be on a sounder financial basis." Mr. Connell voiced his opinion that the increasing mileage of paved highways high-ways would not seriously affect the steam railroads but will ultimately act as a benefit, as a supplement or feeder feed-er to them. He predicted the early abandonment of short-haul rail lines which in many cases have operated at a loss, in favor of motor vehicle transportation. |