The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-06
MORE OF GOOD ROADS
Work of the Associations Con-
ventiOn Finished Yesterday.
Ex-senator Mount Elected President
Valuable Papers by Messrs. Glib
son. Fortune and others.

increased interest, so say all the delegates
who responded to the call of this, the sec
ond annual meeting of the association.
Yesterday was the closing day and ar
engagements were perfected whereby 1t is ex-
pected that a much larger attendance will
be attracted to the December meeting of
this year. The next congress will convene
just prior to the legislative session. and
much more interest will, in all probability,
be felt in the subject of good roads and
laws bearing on the same.
Before the adjournment. last evening, the
following resolutions were presented and
adopted:
Indiana Highway Improvement Association
we have heard with pleasure and profit
various papers, the general diffusion of
which. we believe. will do much good;
therefore,, be il
Resolved, That we request the various
newspapers In the State to give the widest
this meeting.
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
convention that no increased burden of
taxation is necessary at this time for the
Improvement of our highways; that 1t is
the further sense of the association that 1T
is undesirable for the State to issue road
bonds"
The election of officers resulted as fol-
lows:
President-James A. Mount, of Shannon
dale.
Sec~retary-Evans Wooden. Indianapolis.
Observation-Disclosures Holler, South Bend.
Vice Presidents and Executive Commit
tee-George ". Menzies, Mount Vernon;
Mason j. Niblack, %Vincennes; j. p. Apple
gate gate. New Albany; .: g .r Gaessner; sheiDy-
Howard, Richmond; Louis II. Gibson, In
dianapolis; Prof. ]. L. Campbell, Craw-
Lewis s. Alter, Remington; S. f. Day,
Huntington: /. b. Mcdonald, Columbia
City, and Aaron Jones, South Bend.
Secretary Woolen's report showed total
receipts $1 and expenditures of $50 leaving
a deficit of s2 which he said had been made
good by President Niblack and himself: AT
the morning session a letter was received
from Governor Matthews. He said, among
other things:
while / hope that various means may be
considered to accomplish the purpose. of
your association, yet L beg you may adopt
no plan and urge its adoption by the State
that will increase the burdens OF tax upon
our farmers md farms. Their laborS have
not met with the reward or profit they de-
serve. Their industry during the last few
years has been in a languishing condition.
yet they have cheerfully constructed roads
as fast as their means permit, and given
them to the public for general use.
Highway Improvement in Southeastern
Indiana" was the subject of the first paper
presented by G.. w: Dowell, of Queens
laws were not wholly bad. A few amend
ments, he thought, should be made. He
suggested that the township trustee be en-
powered to levy a tax of 60 cents. instead
of 40 cents. He believed that there should
be enacted a law giving each congressional
q NANh NAohNNA NNh~N
could be made by the creation of a State
head. He predicted that before many years
have passed electric roads would pass over
all the main highways Of the country.
MR.. GIBSON'S PAPER.
Louis III. Gibson, of this city, read the
following treatise on Care of Roads and
| Streets" He said:
ct have nothing original to present. 1
have no plea to set forth. L have no ques-
ton to argue with you. | have something
\ to tell which has passed beyond the 6N-
perimental stage. L have plain facts TO
present.
body than the creating of public sentiment
favorable to good wages. Such a move
ment has been started. 1t is a good move
ment, and for that reason will speedily
take root in the minds of the people. 1t is
like any other right thing: 1t is sure to
win in time. Such a movement always
starts out with disbursement. There has
been so much bad administration, so much
Of extravaganza, ignorance and cupidity
in the collection of taxes and the eXpendi-
ture of money thereby gained, that we have
a great deal OF bad history to work down.
We are all suspicious of the application Of
money which we pay in taxeS-so much so,
indeed, that we fear that which promises an
Improvement The creation of a public SEN
timent, the inauguration of good road laws,
is not all. Primarily We want honest and
intelligent administration, then a proper
understanding of what is meant by good
roads, how to get and how to maintain
them L wish To say at this point that
IL VIII NC IL lOliS ways llOll tlC SOOu Odl
question after we get a properly formed
law. Under the present condition of things
in our own State and the country at large
there is no special inducement for espe-
cfally skilled men TO prepare themselves
for service for their city, county or State
or the United States. The tenure of office
is short and the time of service is not in
fluenced by the character of service. We
will not get good roads until we get a good
civil service for county. State and the
United States. This appears to put the
good roads question a good ways off. 1t is
just that far off. We will not have good
roads until We can give regular employment
to honorable and intelligent people who
know how to build good roads. We will
not get good roads by getting a good road
law. A good plan never built a good house.
n good plan of government does not neces-
sarily develop good government. Who
knows that better than we do? A good plan
is Imperative. A good plan is a good law.
1t is far from the end. The law is a mere
detail. What does it avail if we have a
plan for building roads, a law, of we
are without the ability TO carry it out? 1t
IS not every politician who can build a
good road. The ability to load a primary
is not necessarily the kind Of ability which
will build a good road. Being a hustler in
politics does not imply executive or engi-
neering skill, yet it may give an engi-
neer All office. Being a politician will not
but it will not give him ability. Men who
have spent a great deal of time in prepar-
ing themselves by careful technical study
do not care TO walk through a political
1 IllIC III Tie Sdhe VI COillleCllfI8 themselves
temporarily with a county or State road
service. As a young man, he may be will
ing to do IL. to bridge.over a dry period in
his business career, but he is not
going to risk his whole future
in that kind of company. The countries
which have good roads and which maintain
them, select men by competitive eXami.
nation. They advance them in the service
for a reward of merit. They stay i'm the
service as long as they give good results
And they get out of il only for cause. Nc
man ever gets into that service as q re.
ward for any kind of party work. Coco
reads are never built where this sort OF
thing prevails. AS long as IL prevails with
us we are in the mud. / hope l shall live
long enough to see good roads.
I'VE have to educate ourselves as vel
as the people. 1 have read a good deal OF
road literature which has come out i'm this
country during recent months, and tn,
large half Of the question / have never seer
touched. / have read learned dissertation.
on everything which has to do with tn,
construction of roads. | have heard al
kinds of materials and roads discussed, anC
taking il altogether, a great deal of goot
rtatter has been presented with respect q
road construction. Now. building "a road Il
only a part of the problem. Ii is the only
part that We have presented TO us in
careful, considerable way. / have seen moth
ing which considers that other large brancl
having to do with good roads; that is, tn,
care OF roads. We can get the good laws
the millennium may come and afford us tn,
proper service 10 build the roads, and Will
the aid of this law and this service we may
spend millions Of dollars and fail-fail tx
ANONYMOUSLY. II we do not have the prop
erly organized service TO care for roads
after they are built, we will not have goo,
roads; We will have mud roads. Now i
the slime TO understand this. Now is tn,