REPORT OF DIRECTOR

THE DIRECTOR EMPHASIZES THAT ECONOMY IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE GREAT INCREASE BOTH IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES USING THE HIGHWAYS, AND IN THEIR WEIGHT. ECONOMY NOT DOES MEAN THE CUTTING OF CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS, NOR DOES IT MEAN THE SPENDING OF LESS MONEY, HOWEVER, IT DOES MEAN THAT THE MONEY SPENT SHALL BE SPENT MORE ECONOMICALLY. SAVINGS ARE POINTED OUT BY FOLLOWING THE LATEST AND BEST METHODS AND PRACTICES. HIGHWAY BUILDERS WASTE MONEY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FOLLOW STANDARD PRACTICE, OR BECAUSE THEY FAIL TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE FINDINGS OF COMPLETED RESEARCH. THE BOARD HOPES TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE STORE OF INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY VARIOUS COMMITTEES ATTACHED TO ROAD BUILDING ASSOCIATIONS. THE FUNCTION OF THE HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD IS NOT TO UNDERTAKE ACTUAL RESEARCH WORK, BUT TO ACT AS A CLEARING-HOUSE FOR COMPLETED RESEARCH, AND TO CONDUCT FACT-FINDING SURVEYS THAT WILL INDICATE WHAT RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO BE UNDERTAKEN. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD WAS RECENTLY STRENGTHENED BY THE REPRESENTATION OF THE VARIOUS STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSIONS. STATE CONTACT MEN APPOINTED BY THE HIGHWAY COMMISSIONS ARE THE MEDIUM BETWEEN THE STATES AND THE HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD. FORTY-FIVE STATES HAVE APPOINTED THEIR CONTACT MEN WHO ACT AS THE POINT OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE STATE COMMISSION AND THE HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD.