HIGHWAY OF THE FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 23

HIGHWAY OF THE FUTURE

I In the United States there are more | motor-cars in proportion to the population than in any other country on the face of the globe. It therefore follows logically that the motor problems which concern the United States now are the same problems that will eventually .face other countries as soon as their potential appetite for motor-cars is satiated—in other words, when everyone who wants a car and can, by some intricate process of financing, afford a. car, has one. One of 'the greatest problems the United States lias to deal with at the present time is that oE adequate highways. There are good roads, mile upon mile of them; which for a time served their purpose admirably. Bait unfortunately a great many of miles of highway were constructed without a sufficient thought, as to their ultimate function,' and for. that]' reason are proving quite inadequate for the tremendously increased traffic burden. ■ : . ■ When motor-cars originally appeared upon the highways, the fivst'good roads enthusiasts bestirred themselves, and after .years of ceaseless agitation made their influence felt. Good - roads' were built, the process consisting in genera! of the resurfacing with concrete or asphalt of the old carriage roads. This of course, was the easiest thing to do' as the old dirt roads were already in existence and familiar to L everyone. Here for a time the situation rested.

But as the number of cars ou the roads increased and multiplied, constriction commenced to be folt—a constriction which increases painfully with each passing year. It is no uncommon sight, iv the eastern and more congested parts of the United Slates, to see two long lines of motor-cars, reaching as far as the eye can see in either direction, proceeding at a snail's pace because there is not room for the speedier cars to turn out and pass those more leisurely inclined. Roads sixteen to twenty feet wide were quite sufficient iv the earlier days of motoring. Now they are hopelessly inadequate. To-day a new factor is entering into the question. Motor-trucks are beinc more and moro extensively used to sup° plement the railroads, and in some cases to supersede the railroads entirely in short-haul freight transportation. Trucks have been found very economical and satisfactory for this purpose, and several railroads are operating their own service. But by diverting freight traffic from the railroads to the roads, highway congestion is immeasurably increased, and motorists who are merely on pleasure bent or are really trying to get somewhere find themselves held up interminably by long lines of slow moving trucks. As the railroads are heavy taxpayers and 'uive contributed largely to the construction and maintenance of state highways, their trucks cannot very well be barred from the roads. Buses also complicate ho situation. .There are several possible solutions to •.he problem, all of them costly. Addiional right of way can be acquired on iithcr side of existing highways to allow :':ic construction of a wider road which ■»"111 permit four lines of traffic—two in

■lie cuntre fur -the swifer oars and two at the outside for the slower moving /eh ides. This would entail tremendous ixpense, however, as property along the ight of way is difficult to buy at rea.enable terms. Another suggested solution is to build more highways parallel to those already .11 existence, to take care of the slower and heavier traffic. This plan too has its disadvantages. That something will have to be done about the situation is evident, but just what it will be no one knows. The highway question in the United States should, however, cause' those who are sponsoring good roads in other countries to stop and think, and to make provision in their road construction plan for a tremendous and possibly unlooked for expansion in motor traffic—pleasure car, bus, and truck. Only in this way can future embarrassment be in some measure avoided. TO CHECK MOTOR ACCIDENTS. In view of the serious increase noted recently in the number of motor accidents causing loss of life or injury, the Prefect of Police has set up a traffic commission, which is to meet once a week to consider traffic regulations and review the records of all accidents which have occurred in Paris during the preceding week. At its • first meeting the commission has decided that in all cases in which a motor driver is found responsible for an accident his license will be withdrawn at once, this sanction to.be imposed independently of any punishment which may be inflicted subsequently by a Police Court or other,tribunal. Licenses to drive tramway cars or omnibuses will in future not be granted to any person under 21 years of age, and no one under 18 years of age is to be allowed to drive even a private, car. The Syndicate of Chauffeurs and the Auto-

mobile Club de France have both expressed agreement with these decisions, which are to be. put into operation at once.. The commission is now studying other proposals for exacting a more strictobservance of traffic rules, and the penalties for their breach are to be more severe.

When removing the cylinder head for a valve grinding job, the condition of each valve is determined as it is removed. Valves that show burnt marks along one side of their stems have bent steins. If the stems were straight and the valves popped up and down "true/ they would be bright on all sides as a result of even, pressure against UlO guides.