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Within this year, highway transportation has felt the inevitable reaction of a war economy. The road-building program, which prior to 1941 averaged approximately 30,000 miles per year, is now at a low level of less than 50 per cent of its pre-war rate. In general, construction and repair operations have been retarded rather than accelerated. The Public Roads Administration[9], the State Highway Commissions[10] and the local governments, all have begun activities to correct the situation. A Federal Aid Program of over three billion dollars has been approved, and work has been initiated on approximately 40,000 miles of interstate highways. Interstate roads have been modernized and improved for traffic, and secondary state roads have begun to receive attention. The latter are important as farm-to-market highways.
Approximately 25 per cent of all trucks registered are farm vehicles, and more than 80,000 or about 50 per cent of all buses registered have been used for transportation by schools. Passenger car registration has totaled over 25 million, which, when compared to the pre-war total of 30 million in 1941, shows the effects of the war on this phase of transportation. In addition to the school buses in operation, a recent report by the Interstate Commerce Commission[11] states that commercial vehicles registered are approximately 4-5 million trucks and 81,000 buses. The total registration of all civilian motor vehicles is about 30.5 million.
The importance of the motor truck operation to present day economy may be inferred from the effect of its strike on New York business. Heaviest losses have been sustained by manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing industries. The export and import business hold second position. Over 85 per cent of firms have reported adverse results and over 75 per cent have reported deliveries halted. Losses of a few firms have been estimated at over six million dollars per month, and about 50 per cent of the employees of the reporting firms have been laid off.
Motorized equipment is at a low level as to condition and number of units. The production record for January 1946 was about 54,000 trucks and truck tractors as compared to about 105,000 for August. Passenger car production for the same period ranged from about 58,000 to 241,000 per month.
Task 2. Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions using the active vocabulary and the information in the text above.
1. Why were construction and repair operations in the USA retarded within 1946?
2. What was done to correct the situation?
3. How did interstate roads change within 1946?
4. How many buses were used for transportation by schools in the USA in 1946?
5. How many passenger cars were registered in the USA in 1941 and 1946?
6. How many commercial vehicles were registered in the USA in 1946?
7. What was the total registration of all civilian motor vehicles in the USA in 1946?
8. Why did manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing industries sustain losses in the USA in 1946?
Task 3. Fill in the gaps with appropriate prepositions and translate the sentences into your mother tongue. Consult the text above.
1. 25 per cent ___ all trucks registered are farm vehicles.
2. A Federal Aid Program ___ three billion dollars has been approved.
3. Heavy losses have been sustained ___ manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing industries.
4. Losses have been estimated ___ over six million dollars ___ month.
5. Passenger car production ___ the same period ranged ___ 58,000 ___ 241,000 units.
6. The road-building program is now ____ a low level.
7. This shows the effects ___ the war ___ the transportation.
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| IV. Grammar exercises | | | I. Active vocabulary |