Editorials

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS A STIMULANT FOR BUSINESS

One day last month there took place a debate in the Congress of the United States regarding appropriations for highway construction. Senator Hayden of Arizona took the position that in view of gasoline and excise taxes levied against motorists, the highways of the United States have cost the government nothing. He urged not only another appropriation of $400,000,000 for this year, but continuation of federal aid on a fixed basis. His argument in the latter respect is of interest to every road builder and every business man in the nation. He said: "Mr. President, we have heard much talk recently about the depression in capital-goods industries, and the necessity for stimulating them. Let me tell the Senate what I think would accomplish fine results in that regard. If Congress shall lay down a highway program for three years ahead of time, the effect would be that instead of using old second-hand concrete mixers and other equipment that has been kept together by scrap iron and baling wire, as the contractors have been doing, many new machines would be promptly bought.

"There have been practically no new purchases of road construction equipment in the United States for the past four years. Why? Because neither the state that lets the contracts nor the contractor who does the work

MAY, 1934

has known what to expect. If Congress authorizes and does it promptly, a highway program over the next three years, we shall see surprisingly large purchases of all sorts of road-making machinery.

"I was recently told of a highway contractor in New England who normally charged off $200,000 to depreciation and bought $200,000 worth of new machinery a year who was inquiring whether he should buy $36,000 worth of equipment. He was asked 'Why do you make such an inquiry?' and his answer was 'because I do not know what the future of road building is in the United States.' If Congress will lay out a road program that contractor will be back in the capital-goods market buying as he did before.

"I have been told that there have not been more than about 20 new concrete mixers sold to road contractors in the whole United States during the past year for use in connection with their work. Make road building a stabilized industry, let the country know that the Congress is for good roads, that it intends to provide the funds, as in this bill, to carry out a national highway program, and the purchases of new road-building equipment will be surprising."

OUR COVER PICTURE

This month's Arizona Highways front cover picture is a photograph of a recently completed section of U. S. Highway 66 near Hackberry constructed by state force account. The result of the work is outlined on Page 3 of this issue by George B. Shaffer, district engineer, and Percy Jones, Sr., resident engineer. The photograph is by Norman G. Wallace.

You can use your own judgment, but the Omaha Journal-Stockman says an economist is a man who knows a great deal about a very little, and who goes on knowing more and more about less, until finally he knows practically everything about nothing; whereas a professor, on the other hand, is a man who knows a very little about a great deal and keeps on knowing less and less about more, until finally he knows practically nothing about everything.

HIGHWAY HEADACHES