The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-11

y a Session in Which Is Much Making O
Speeches and Reporting Of Progress
wheeImen Urged to Join Cause Wit
Farmers Distinguished Advocates o
the Wheel Respond to Timely Toasts a
the Banquet.
Baltimore, Feb. 1e.-League politic
absorbed the attention Of the delegate
to the national convention Of TIT
League of American Wheelmen today
to the utter exclusion OF everything
else. As consequence the experiment
al goods roads" meeting was only &
moderate success in point of attend
ance. although the mental pabulun
served TO those who attended was of z
high order. Mayor Hooper was in
consequence the victim of an Uninten-
tional affront upon the part of the dele
gates, as his honor had been invited 10
make a speech, and was there at the
appointed time with a nice little ad-
| dress of welcome, which was never
spoken because there was no one pres
ent to hear him, save few newspaper
men. The mayor waited a while and
then went away 10 attend TO municipal
( affairs. An ample apology was made
/ TO him later in the day, however, and
/ full official forgiveness accorded.
After the mayors departure another
effort was made TO get the delegates
! together, which, after two hours hard
work, was successful. President Will
/ ison called the meeting TO order. He
said it was the first good roads day"
ever given by the league and he assert
ed that the decision to set aside one
day annually for the discussion Of good
roads was one Of the best moves ever
made by the league. He regretted
however. that the attendance was not
better. He thought the delegates to the
assembly should feel bound TO attend
this good roads convention and to give
it their entire attention.
CHAIRMAN POTTER SPEAKS.
AS the highways Improvement COM
mittee, and not the league proper, was
in charge of the affair, ne resigned the
chair TO the chairman of the committee,
Isaac p. Potter of New York, the au-
thor of the good roads" day move
nent. Mr.. Potter was greeted with ap-
pfause and after it had subsidized he adj
dressed the meeting briefly. New York,
he said, had TWEEN ty-seven votes and
numerous proxies and intended 10 cast
them for the city which makes the best
showing at this session.
Continuing, he said: 1.-THE attend
ance is not as great as Il should be, but
from my own experience I know II IS
twice as great as was that at the good
roads congress called by the United
States government, and which was
more widely advertised than was this
convention. The delegates here. how
ever. represent 10000 wheelrnen. and
what transpires here will be more far
reaching in its effects than was the ac-
ton Of the good roads congress refer
red to-"
He then read letters of regret from
Governor Levi P. Morton Of New York. !
Mayor Jewett of Buffalo. the the mayor
Of Albany, the mayor Of Newark, N j., /
Mayor Taggart of indianapolis. Mayor !
Swift Of Chicago, Mayor Pratt OF Min |
neapolis. Governor Matthews of Indi- !
ana and MIR. James r. Dunno, ex-presi- |
dent Of the L A. W.
MORE GOOD ROADS TALK.
Mr.. Potter then introduced Mayor |
William NJ. Kennedy Of Allegheny City, !
Pc, one Of the most prominent advo- |
Gates of good roads in the country. and |
during whose adminlstra ton Allegheny |
City has changed from an iu-Dayed, i'll
kept city 10 one Of the finest in the
country. Mayor Kennedy spoke Of what |
had been done in the way of improv-
ed streets and roads in and around Ale
eheny City, and of the many direct and |
indirect benefits.
Following Mayor Kennedy, Henry W.
Williams, chairman OF the legislative
committee Of the Maryland Good Roads
league, was introduced. He said:
IF | told You of the work we have
done, 1t would take but u short time. !
but If I tell you OF what we have to do.
l am afraid | would never get through 5"
Mr.. Williams gave a history Of the
birth of the Good Roads league of Mary
land and the appointment Of legislat-
i've committee, of which he was made
chairman.
We did considerable work" he said,
throughout the state. and the result
consider both good and bad. Through
our work We reused up the opposition
Of the politicians and they have been
against US wherever possible. but the
agitation has at length compelled these
same politicians and county commits
stoner 10 make slight concessions to |
public opinion and we have the pleasure
u seeing slight Improvement in the
general road system of the state.
BILL PREPARED.
We have now prepared bill which
We expect to get before the legislature.
or the appointment Of a permanent
Dad commission TO iversee in general ,
he road improvements throughout the /
state. An expert engineer IS 10 be made
/ member of the commission and his
knowledge i 10 be put al the disposal
# the county road commissioners. We
xpect bright future for the move
nent in Maryland"
y. =. Miller. chairman of the board Of ! 4
of Allegheny county. de-
ivered short address telling of the
work. accomplished by hiscomnission +
n western Maryland. He approved % :
'ood roads and said that # the farmers >
we're enlightened as 20 the benefits 10 7
'e derived from improved highways. ALI q
pp"sition that now existed would be :
wiped away N
Both President Wilson an5 NJ a
sterling Elliott delivered briaf ad- b
resSes and put themselves firmly On a
ne good roads plank il
TO HELP THE FARMERS Y
The principle speaker at the afternoon .
ession was General Roy Stone Of -,a ;
'nIted States bureau Of road inquiry
no said in part:
The wheelnen should help 70 encou-- :
&c the farmers who are IN hard luck. / 3
y joining them in securing good roads
Ike the farmers see -hat good roads
III make the City people want 10 live in $
he country. and VIII make them i've. y
here q
..-7,., -- :
he government can aui will de- :
luch. ne said. when We have = IA
onal government highway commission ~
I