 Time for the Lawn Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important dishes of the hour brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a presentation of the Lawn Jean Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lawn Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lawn Jean. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lawn Jean Chronoscope? Mr. William Bradford Huey, noted author and analyst. And Mr. Hardy Burt, noted author and correspondent. Our distinguished guest for this evening is Mr. Robert Moses, the nation's foremost city planner. Mr. Moses, of course you've had many years of experience in New York, both the city and state, as a planner of parkways and housing. I'm sure that our viewers tonight would like to hear you talk about some of the public planning problems, particularly traffic and housing and parkways. Now, sir, how does the nation stand as regards road building? Are we falling behind on roads, or are we keeping up? We're way behind. We've been falling behind steadily for years, and now the situation is more or less desperate. The fact is that unless we begin to, unless we launch a new program, a much larger program, we're going to face a situation where we can't accommodate the output of cars. Is some of that due to the second war, sir, and to the money we spent there? Yes, to a stoppage of, almost complete stoppage of road building during the second world war. But it's been a steady, we've been falling behind steadily. When you say the situation is desperate now, sir, could you estimate for our viewers how much money it would take spent by the entire nation, states, cities, and country? How much it would take us to catch up? I would say somewhere between $45 and $55 billion. That isn't a figure. Those aren't figures taken out of the air. They represent the adding up the programs of the several states as approved by the federal government. How far is New York state, for instance, but the one that you are particularly concerned with? Well, our program involves an expenditure of about three billion, close to three billion and a half dollars. Well, how long do you think it'll take before we do have a modern road system to meet the needs of present-day traffic in the United States? Is there any way to hazard a guess on that? Well, if you mean how long would it take if we had enough money? I suppose that we could catch up within a period of eight to 12 years, not less than eight years, because there's a limit to the amount of construction you can do in one year without simply stopping the wheels from moving at all. Well, it's been said that many of our roads, even the Newvins, are going to pieces faster than Newvins can be built. Is there any validity to that statement? No, I wouldn't say that. I would say that if you spent somewhere between $45 and $55 billion in a period of eight to 12 years, and it's done intelligently on the federal supervision, that we'd be in pretty good shape, assuming that the output of cars remain just about what it is today. Do you see any chance of that much money being spent? Well, I don't see how we can escape doing it. One of the ways we're trying to relieve this problem, of course, sir, is through building these great toll roads in the country, like the New York Thruway. Now, could you illustrate for us some of the problems using the New York Thruway as an example? How much will that road cost, sir? I think it will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $750 million. And how is that financed? Is that the taxpayer's bid? That is financed by the issuance of bonds, which however have the state credit back of them, up to $500 million. Beyond that, there won't be any state credit back of the bonds. Well, now, are these toll roads paying off to people who invest their money, get it back? Actually, they're paying better than most people expect. Mr. Moses, aren't they proving pretty dangerous to these super highways and parkways, isn't the rate of accident on them higher than on other types of roads? No, the rate of accident is higher where the speed limit hasn't been held down to proper limits. And of course, there are other factors such as climate and fog and snow and all that sort of thing. But the people who built the original expressway, such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike, announced that there would be no speed limit. And then the accidents were simply terrific. And then they put a speed limit on that was too high. And gradually that's going to be brought down to some kind of reasonable limits. Of course, to build these roads, you have to move a lot of people's homes, don't you, sir? Yes, especially in urban communities and urban and suburban communities. That is one of the big problems. Could you give us any indication of how many homes will have to be moved and building the New York throughway? Well, the New York throughway is, I would say, three quarters of it is in open territory where there's no problem. The other one fourth, I wouldn't know how many. But in New York City, on the approaches to the throughway system, there are really two throughways. One goes up to Buffalo and out west. And one goes to New England, goes east of New England through Westchester and Fairfield County, Connecticut. I would say that there are about, on those two approaches, about 10,000 people. Well, on the road question, sir, could you tell us, you're, of course, our national authority. What state has been most progressive in planning new highways? Well, it would be hard to say. I would put California way up near the top of the list. Moving on down to the next category, in which you've had so much experience, sir, the building of parks. How does our country compare with other countries in the world in building city parks? Well, I think that most of the country is broad. I would not include South America in this particular discussion. Inherited parks, which were originally big estates. And they have very fine, large parks, but inadequate playgrounds, inadequate local parks. We're much better off for local parks and playgrounds than they are. Our parks aren't adequate by any means in most of the cities of this country, I don't suppose, are they? They're not. Adequate in terms of what? Then room for children and wives? In terms of the number of people who have to be accommodated. Could you give us some illustrations, sir, as far as New York City is concerned, as to how parks have been developed? How many do you have now, and how many did you have 10 years ago? Well, I'd rather take a little bit longer period, but in the time since I've been connected with the city park department, I think we have about between four and five times as many recreation facilities as we did, say, 19 or 20 years ago. In your thinking about parks, sir, it's said that we are becoming a nation of old people. In planning parks now, are you assuming that we'll have more and more older people? Well, we must assume that. All the figures show it. People are living longer, and they're spending more time outdoors, and they have more leisure, and they have pensions in one thing or another. And the result is that we have to provide more facilities of the passive recreation type for older people. Mr. Moses, I'd like to get to this one question to me. It's very important because I'm personally mixed up in it. Now, as bad as our nation's highway system is, it seems to me that in New York and other cities that I've visited that the traffic congestion within those cities is much worse. Is there anything that can be done to relieve this congestion? Oh, I think there are great many things can be done, but you've got to begin by assuming that that congestion is in the heart, in the old centers of cities. And it doesn't necessarily extend throughout the cities or out into the suburbs. Well, what area in New York, for example? Well, in New York, I'd say the area from 125th Street down to the battery on Manhattan Island, possibly the old Cadman Plaza section of Brooklyn, only Fordham Road section of the Bronx, Jamaica and South Jamaica and Queens, and that's about all. Well, it still takes me about 30 minutes to get across a few blocks of 44th or 45th Street in Mid Manhattan where I'm usually occupying my time. What can be done about that traffic congestion where it exists? I don't think you can ever meet that kind of congestion wholly because the city's overbuilt there. There are too many big buildings and too many people coming in and out. That was bad planning that permitted that. I think it can be solved measurably by wholesale metering and using the proceeds of metering to build off-street facilities. The suggestion has been made to have midget taxicabs. What about that? That's a minor thing. That goes along with regulatory matters such as of staggering the hours at which trucks can collect and deliver materials and all that sort of thing. One of the remarkable things about your career, sir, is that I believe you call yourself an independent Republican, but you've held office in both in New York State and New York City under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Now, sir, that we have a new Republican National Administration, a conservative administration. Do you think that there will be less federal money spent on road building, for instance? No. I don't think there's any disposition on the part of the President or Congress to spend less money. They're going to spend more money on roads. They'll have to. As to housing, I wouldn't know. I think that they would prefer to subsidize private construction rather than encourage strictly public construction. Well, sir, as a final question, you've had a great deal of experience under great New York governors, like Governor Roosevelt and Governor Dewey, as well as mayors, and you've been intimately associated with presidents. I'm sure that our viewers would like your opinion as to which one of those men you would count the ablest executives. Well, if I had to pick one person with whom I've had very close contact, among those with whom I've had very close contact, I think I would unquestionably pick Al Smith. Well, that's interesting. What did Smith have, sir, that the NXS, that the others didn't have? Well, that's a long story, but I would say if I had to pick out one quality that he had that distinguished him from other people, it was a quality of loyalty to the people who worked for him. Well, thank you very much for being with us this evening, sir. The opinions that you've heard our speakers express tonight have been entirely their own. The editorial board for this edition of the Laun Jean Chronoscope was Mr. William Bradford Huey and Mr. Hardy Burt. Our distinguished guest was Mr. Robert Moses, the nation's foremost city planner. To the connoisseur, no other name on a watch means so much as Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch. Discriminating men and women appreciate the elegance of a Laun Jean watch, the solid good taste of its styling, the jewel-like finish of its case, and equally, its greater accuracy, its faithfulness as a timepiece. Now, the high opinion of Laun Jean watches is reflected also in the medals, prizes, and honors which Laun Jean watches have won at world fairs and in observatory accuracy contests. Yes, to the connoisseur throughout the world, no other name on a watch means so much as Laun Jean. Distinguished alike for elegance and excellence and for accuracy and long life. And yet, do you know that you may buy and own or buy and proudly give the Laun Jean watch for as little as $71.50? Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch, the world's most honored gift. Premier product of the Laun Jean Wittner Watch Company since 1866, maker of watches of the highest character. We invite you to join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at this same time for the Laun Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour. Broadcast on behalf of Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Laun Jean. 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