The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-27
THE ROAD CONGRESS.
What the Chatham and Adjournin
Counties Delegates Say.

What the Chatham and AdjOurning
Counties Delegates Say.
AL of the delegates to the road congress,
which met in Atlanta last week, are back
home. Savannah was represented by
County Commissioner Smart and Engineer
R. A. Blanford. Mr.. Smart was asked upon
bis return about the work Of the congress,
but he ssid that he had no time talk about
1t. Capt. A. A. VIM, wao represented
EfingEam county, was favOrably i'm
pressed with those he met, aud be SAYS
tie personnel Of the congress struck him
a. being above the average Of such as
semblazes-ln fact, ne saws that it has never
been his lot to be associat d with suca a
represent tive boiyof men. The eegates,
lie a 5, seem h have been selsc ed from the
most intelligent class Of the respective
counties, wlo were impressed with one pur-
pose, and that to do something for tue good
Of the state. There v as no political log
rolling, no effort visible to secure the
advantage Of one section at the expense of
the other, but to formulate some plan which
would benefit the whole state. All sse ned
to feel the Importance Of the work before
them, and without consumi z the time in
useless speech-making, went TO work in
real earnest, and to set an example to all
conventions called h4reaf er, to ork for
]
Mr.. Smart. Capt VIM says. was an
active worker, and in full accord
with the prevailing feeling at so ne
thing should be done to better the con-
ditou Of the public roads. When the dels-
gates representing the counties Of the First
congressional district assembled to present
a candidate 70 one Of tue vice presidents Of
the congress, all with one accord proposed
the name OF Mr.. Smart, feeling that in SO
. Hla irafa Of
in the hands of one whose views on all
questions before the congress would COM
lnand attention.
The prevailing sentiment Of the delegates
on public Improvements vas for liberal
laws which will make -lo improvement of
the public highways a necassitg. During
the delivery Of tie speeches and the rs4di :
| Of papers, where Only refero ce was made
q using the convict, r road purposes, the
sentiment was literally appiauded and al
early movement to utilize he c)nvicts was
generally favored. While the congress felt
at the state should adhere stric.ly 10 Its
contract made with the lessee, they also
felt that nu erOus instances could be cited
where essees had, 20 a cOnsidsrab extent,
Lid themselves liable 70 have their leases
forfei ed and that when il was ne the
& vernon should, at tuc same time, be pro-
viled with way TO use them, and that
way was to put them OF the roads.
Several interesting papers were read,
that of Hon. W. 4. HuW OF Macon touch
ing more particularly upon the convict
system. Mr.. Huff presented some startli z
hgures 70 show the necessity q abroga-ilg
the present lease, and his effort showed thai
he was well Informed upon the subject. he
was comuIiment.d on all sides for having
the nerve 70 tackle he system nj the out
RACES being perpetrated upon the industries
OK the state He said that the Chattsh1o-
minutes # the c0nvicts were taken away
from them; that 10 o.e can now afford TO
make brick in competition with them u
less the had the convlcts. Ho further
I showed that Georgia received only 81 per
convict. while the safe OF leGnes,ea, VI b
/ only l.40J cJnvlcts. IcoeIyed moro than <
/ times as uch revenue from them a.
/ Georgia gets for her 100 c1uylcts