649 



needed in just the right quantities — no more and no less than could be consumed' 

 at home. Where communications are adequately developed, however, there is- 

 no such inhibiting influence, and regions are permitted to specialize in those- 

 types of production that they are best fitted by natural endowment or cultural 

 heritage to do and at the same time neglect those for which they are less well 

 equipped.*^ 



Historically, transportation investment was an important character- 

 istic of the American system as it approached technological leadership.. 

 According to one early study — 



We [i.e., the United States] have built almost as many miles of railroad as 

 the whole of Europe, and consequently have used in their construction almost 

 as many rails, and now use almost as many railroad cars and locomotives. At 

 the close of 1881 this country had 100,000 miles of railroad, Europe had about 

 106,000 miles, and all the rest of the world had about 45,000 miles. The United: 

 States had nineteen miles of railroad to every 10,000 of iwpulation^ while Europe 

 had a little more than three miles to the same population.™ 



In the developing countries, transportation is a foremost need and 

 the most expensive element of teclmological infrastructure. 



Transport costs form by far the largest single element in building up the 

 economic infrastructure. It has been estimated that they represent as much as 

 30 per cent of the cost of finished goods in countries with a high cost-structure,, 

 and in areas where the iMjpulation is widely scattered and industrial activity is 

 dispersed, expenditure on transport equipment and operations can amount to 

 33% percent and more of the national income.*' 



COMMUNICATIONS 



Communication is even more widely varied in character; One vie\^ 

 is that "the prime function of communications is to bridge the gap 

 between the leaders and the masses and thus to enable the people to. 

 participate in the modern world." From this point of view— 



The imijortance of an effective communications system to assist in establish- 

 ing the new outlook and attitudes is obvious. Furthermore, if a nation exi>ects 

 to exist as such and to maintain a place in the modem world it must create and. 

 maintain a system commensurate with its larger expectations. In short, com- 

 munications must be an integral part of the national economy. 



UNESCO has suggested that eflScacious mass communications can be assured' 

 when for every 100 inhabitants of any country there are at least 10 copies of a. 

 daily newspaper, 5 radio sets, 2 cinema seats and 2 television receivers. This 

 minimum has not been attained by 2,000 million people ; one hundred States 

 in Asia, Africa and Latin America fall below this level. 



Vast disparities are evident between nations, as to their use of 

 mass communications. "For example, Australia with an annual inoome- 

 of more than $US800 fer caput^ has about the same population as 

 Tanganyika with only $US100 of such income but has nearly 900 times 

 the newspaper circulation and perhaps 750 times as many radio, 

 receivers." 



Increasingly the United States has seen the evolution of a truly 

 national system of telecommunications. Into this complex is now being 

 introduced the transmission of television programs and the facilities 

 of the digital computer as a repository and source of electronically 



8^Vernor C. Finch and Glenn T. Trewartha. "Elements of Geography." (New York,. 

 McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 19316), page 653. 



'"Benjamin Rand, compiler. "Selections Illustrating Economic History Since the Sevens 

 Years' War." (Cambridge, John Wilson and Son, 1895), page 435. 



*^ United Nations. "Science and Technology for Development. Volume I. World- of- Oppor- 

 tunity." Op. cit., pa^es 135-6. 



97-400 O - 77 - 4 



