The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-08-23
THE MOVEMEHT FOR BETTER ROADS
--sUBSTATIAL PRoGREsS--RAL
ROAD CONFERESCE.

THE MOVEMEHT FOR BETTEK ROADS
--suB>TATIAL PKoGREss--RAL
ROAD Co>FERENCE.
1t is gratifying to every public
spirited citizen to witness the sub
StantiaI progress which the move
ment for better public highways is
making. At last The American pub
lie in particular is awakening to the
fact that this, greatest of nations,
has the poorest roads travelled by
civalized man; and: that these poor
roads are an important factor in the
agricultural depression of the coun-
try.
The fruits from this awakening
are already beginning to appear. A
few of the more progressive States
have built, during the past few
years, each several hundred miles of
modern stone roads, and in every
State in the Union few of the
more progressive counties have tax
en- up the work with energy and sue
cess. In practically every State pub
lie meetings are being held in the
interest of this movement, where
men from different sections come to-
gether and discuss from all stand
points how we can best permanently
improve our public roads at the leas t
cost.
The National Good Roads Confer
ence held at Asbury Park, n. j.,
July 9TH and 9Th, attended by rep
resentatiye men from 40 different
States and Territories, was doubt
less the most successful meeting of
it's kind ever held in this country.
This meeting brought out one i'm
portant fact-that in all the States
the farmers were taking . deeper
and more favorable interest III the
movement for better roads, and In
many places are to day the leaders
in the movement.
In North Carolina there is abun-
dant ground Tor encouragement
Mecklenburg and Wake counties
have taken the Lead; and already
their good example is being followed
with varying degrees of success by
Alamance, Guilford, CabarruS, Dur.
ham, Granville, chatham, Wayne
Edgecombe aud a number of Other
counties. Reports coming in from
other portions of the State show
that in nearly all the counties th'
question of better public roads is re
ceiying considerable share of at
ntlOn.
The recent successful road confer
ence at Chapel Hill had scarcely ad
| journed before calls were received
from several different sources that
similar meeting be held in Raleigh
at some time during the presen
month, to which should be especi
ally invited the road overSeers, mag
istrates, county commissioners an
other citizens of Wake and neigh
boring counties.
, 1t is announced that such a meet
ing will be held in Raleigh on Au
> gust 23rd and 24th, the objects O
: which will be two fold; first a dis
cussion, from every standpoint, Q
: the best methods of improving tn
: public roads in the counties of mid
: die North Carolinai and second,
t examine carefully the stone road
r which are being built by Raleig
township, the road machinery bein
? used, and the methods Of using con
/ yict labor in road building. Th
1 meeting should be attended by ever
/ road oyerseer county commissioner
/ in Wake and the neighboring coun
. ties, and the ''friends of good roads.
J, like ''friends of education," shoul
!, attend the conference also.
!, District conferences Of this kim
+ or road institutes, should be held
d every section of the State, and fro
f all of these more local meetings,
e we'll as from the counties themselve
n resentatives ought to be sent to tt
n meeting of the State Road Improv
IS ment Association which will be he
d in Charlotte on September 18th.
= ]. a. Holmes,
# Secretary North Carolina Road In
n Improvement Association.