The herald., 1895-02-28
Chamber of Commerce Directors
Gave It to Him
A GIFT FOR THE SECRETARY
Abbot Kinney's Report on the Good
Roads Convention
A Receptiou to Be rendered to Delegates to
the National Convention of the
A. o. u. w.


Freeman, on behalf of the board, pre-
sented Secretary Willard very handsome
high grade bicycle, in appreciation OF ms
efficient service of the Chamber IN the
capacity of secretary the past four years
Mr.. Willard had some weeks ago pur
chased Keating wheel, which ne hau
Just learned to ride with comfort ana
grace when thief made away with IT,
and all efforts to recover 1t talled. Inc
secretary felt the loss of his wheel keehiy,
and was wondering how he coulu ever
save enough money out OF his not alto-
gether princely salary TO buy another
when the directors generously decided TO
make him present OF one. The presenta-
tion was complete surprise to MI VII
lard. and he could scarcely find words TO
express his gratitude for the gilt. Inc
new wheel is IA Heating, like the one that
was stolen, and the happy recipient VIII
take good care that no thlef lays ms
hands on this. The directors individually
subscribed the money for the purchase
OF the wheel.
ne the following directors: Banning,
Conn, Davisson, Forman, Freeman,
Graves, Johnson Jones, King, hlokNe'
Mullen, Patterson, Parsons, Slausoh'
Stimson, Netter.
George r Taylor was elected to mem
bership. c.
Abbott Kinney, delegate to the Sacra,,
mento Good Roads Convention, reported
as follows: The Good Roads ConVen-
tion was well attended by Supervisors,
County Surveyors and Road Overseers OF
the central counties OF Call1orhla. Pc
sides these there were a number OF pupllc
spirited citizens and Il lew engineers
nearly all, also. from Central Calliornla.
General Stone, from the Department.
OF Agriculture at Washington, delivered
all address and answered questions our
ing the proceedings. Professor Soule OF
the State University added much TO the
value of the results by his knowledge OF
the engineering problems connected with
the construction and Improvement OF our
roads.
The convention appointed number
of committees to consider and report upon
the various phases of road improvement
and afterward appointed an executive
committee to look after the legislative
side of these questions
The determination of the convention
may be summarized as follows:
Road money should be spent on per-
manent work and sprinkling.
Road work should be carefully planned.
''Macadamized roads in country districts
should have the macadamlzed portion
narrow and have a dirt road on one or
both sides. This, OF course, is cheaper
than broad stoned way, and i'll good
weather the dirt road is preferable.
'.Sprnkling is an essential to good roads
in California.
Prisoners can be an dare utilized for
preparing material for road making.
The Sacramento Supervisors have
covered lot adjoining the jail, where
large proportion of the prisoners are EN-.
ployed in stone breaking. The result OF
this prisoners work i'll Sacramento is
rapidly showing in the roads about the
citys 81 sl
Counties should have the power to
employ an engineer as general road super
intendent.
The employment of such an officer it
was deemed best to leave optional with
the counties. Some counties are not rich
enough to employ an engineer.
The sentiment of the convention was
against state roads and against county
bonds for road building.
"A general interest was manifested in
the road question by all the neighboring
city and country newspapers, indicating
large interest in this subject by their
readers. The road work in the central
counties seems to be conducted in more
economical and more efficient way than
ours. They have many miles of well built
roads to show for their money. Santa
Clara county is especially fortunate in this
respect. That county now has all Its
trunk roads macadamzed and sprinkled.
Travel is consequently comfortab BILE. III
both wet and dry seasons.
The greatest value of the road conven-
tion was the attention 1t attracted to the
Improvement of the roads of California.
Owing to the distance between the south
ern counties and Sacramento we derived
but little benefit from this good work.
would respectfully suggest that the return
of General Stone to California within a
few weeks be availed of to call Southern
California good roads convention TO be
held under the auspices of the Cham ber
of Commerce in Los Angeles.
Besides the points on road improvement
named, this county has Il special interest
in taking care OF flood water. In various
sections of the county flood waters have
followed settlement and in such places
these new and unlocked for torrents are
constantly turned into the public roads
and as lar as possible kept in them by
the adjoining property holders to the ruin
of the roads. These flood waters should be
provided ways of egress to natural water
courses In many cases to do this requires
condemnation. The law is mt thought to
provide this remedy at present. 1t seems
to me, however, that i'll such cases a lane
or roadway on the line of the proposed
diversion could be condemned and gut
tered for the water.
Roadside trees are great attraction to
and are especially valuable to our tourist
business, to say nothing of our own salts
faction
This county has done next to nothing
in the way of beautifying the roads AS
lar as / know. the late Charles F. Murray
and myself are the only county road off
GERS who ever planted trees. planted
nine miles of roadway with trees in the
Santa Monica district and l believe that
the work has improved the appearance of
the whole country The road trees are
none too many, yet we find individuals
here and there who chop these road trees
down without apparent protest or pun
ishment. Want of frewood is the real
cause of this vandalism. Other causes are
given, indeed, to excuse the act. This
sort of thing should be promptly termi
mated by action of the Supervisors, while
at the same time they could with great
gain of popularity take measures to plant
trees on our main thoroughfares. Certain
trees, such as the various kinds of eucalyp-
tus, can be planted very cheaply and re-
quire no subsequent care. The pepper is
our most beautiful tree suited to road
planting. This tree, however. costs
more to plant and requires trimming from
time to time. Nearly all our roadside
planting is done by private enterprise. In
large estates like the Baldwin ranch
sufficient uniformity for dignity and
beauty is secured, but in smaller hold
ings inharmonious variety often breaks
the effect and great gaps of vacancy occur.
On long and weary stretches in this
county there is no trees at all.
We'll made, summer sprinkled and