Show I Public Highways f There bere are toda today some 2 miles tulles of ot rural roads In the United States Of or this thIA amount perhaps 12 per cent could be classified as Improved while only about fourth one of at one per cent cnn can be said to be suitable for the carriage I of heavy duty And in the tho face tace of this condition It cnn can be said I without chance of contradiction that the tho future development of the United States rests upon the roads I The past few v years have e witnessed a tremendous turnover In transportation tion from the railway to time the highway says Roy D. D Chapin former chairman of ot the highways transport committee of the council of national defense The congestion which prevailed during tho the war made necessary the commercial commercial commer commer- cial utilization of the highway to an extent thought Impossible a scant few years ago The little known before before before be be- fore the war sprang Into prominence a ait as a commercially practical form of ot transportation and while the fighting has ceased the need for the motor truck remains with us more Insistent than n ever evel before I Within certain limitations the freight car of the highway vay Is more efficient than the rail carrier and because because be be- because cause of it it may be taken as a permanent per per- manent form of transportation and per per-I one destined to have a large Influence on the movements of ot trade in the future The hour haul has bas struck when the fast fast- moving efficient motor vehicle of commerce com coerce merce must replace the horse and the costly terminal charges which prevail upon the short haul branches of the rail lines Unes Already the has become a feeder to the railroad shortly It Is destined to aid enormously enormous ly to the profitable lo long g hauls while entirely or very nearly so eliminating the unprofitable spurs I Railroad men generally recognize the new movement and aud welcome It Street railway men not so keenly alert to Its possibilities as a feeder to their lines Unes have yet to take the fullest full est advantage of the opportunities which hieb It presents But back of the rests the road While the highway as such is of little interest to those outside of 01 the engineering field as a means for foi transportation It becomes of vital Im Importance importance to every citizen of the United Sta States tes whether he be In profession 01 or trade a minister a merchant a dot doc for nl High h and low rich and poor the toad comes Into contact with all aU of us usand usand and upon Its relative efficiency de dei deto i tads to n fl greater renter extent than most of 01 ax w Used to Haul Farm Produce to Market us dream the ultimate cost of all aU that I we wo eat wear have No one knows how much the country country coun coun- try pays for cartage said William Wllliam C. C Redfield secretary of commerce recently recently re reo cE but anyone who looks Into the tbt question Is pretty sure euro to find out that tho the figures are larger than bethought he be thought It could be Yet cartage Is but one phase of road costs COts Poor roads mean Isolation which In turn mean fewer possibilities sties Itle for education fewer opportunities ties for wealth lower real estate valuations val nations as well as Increased costs of supplies Every sound fundamental economic reason speaks out for the durable road Just as it protests against th the tho poor Inadequately constructed highway Despite these facts which will be verified by all who have studied the question despite the fact that the oil oil- official official I cial government figures placed tho the hauling over the highways at ton-miles ton In 1 1917 17 our roads are arb today todar all that they should not be They are Inefficient Inadequate anti ant |