The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-21
THE ROAD CONGRESS
A Large and Representative
Meeting Last Night.
SOME VALUABLE PAPERS
DEEPLY INTERESTED IN SECUR-
WE'RE MADE
AND RESOLUTIONS WERE PASSED

AND RESOLUTIONS WERE PASSED
Capt. S. B. Alexander Presided and Made
an interesting Talk--0ther Speakers
and Features Of the
Meeting.
The Road Congress was called to order
at o'clock last night by Mr.. w. j.
Andrews in the court house. Mr.. An
drews has worked earnestly for this
success.
There were over half hundred dele
gates present, representing every sction
of the State, and every man present
seemed to be there for a purely practical
purpose.
There Is nothing to arouse the senti-
mentality of men in meeting of good
road advocates. There is nothing to
arouse undue excitement. The question
OF good roads is a purely practical Ques-
ton. 1t appeals not to the passions Of
men, but to their sober judgment; their
calm consideration, their most serious
thought and their best energies.
The question Of good roads in North
Carolina is live question, and is getting
liver every day. This writer remembers
the first time he ever heard a special
address on the subject; that address was
made some fifteen years ago by Capt.
8. b. Alexander, in an address at the
Wadesboro fair, and / can remember
how difficult it was for the speaker,
Notwithstanding his address contain
ed figures and facts, with refer
.ence TO the loss sustained by the people
OF North Carolina, because of its bad
roads. Yet how difficult it was to inter-
est those who heard him.. Since then
this same gentleman, as the pioneer, and
aided by the public-spirited men of
Mecklenburg county has made that
county the envy of the whole country
because of the good roads that have
been built by the application of new
practicable and intelligent methods Of
road building. This Mecklenburg leavens
is taking and now there is hardly II
county in the State that is not discussing
this question, and a large number of
them are beginning to do practical
work In permanent road improvements.
At the meeting last night Capt. s. B.
Alexander, of Charlotte, was made
chairman, and Mr.. j. j. Rogers, Of
Wake, secretary.
Capt. Alexander, in taking the chair,
made q sshoft- talk, declaring that the
question Of good roads is to-day Of more
importance to the people Of North Caro-
lima than almost any other question. He
spoke Of the great advance made by
<,ln <ala v,h;nv cycfa NV H.
road and steamboat lines and other like
advantages as compared with the pro-
kress that had been made in the making
and maintaining Of public roads. He
spoke IF the trouble at first encountered
In the early fight for good roads in
Mecklenburg county, but now they have
in that county thirteen new macadamized
roads, averaging from four to six /,
miles, IN all over seventy miles, and the,
people there now were practically unit
In favor of permanent road build
Sng.
Valuable and interesting papers
were read before the meeting.
Among them very interesting paper
from Mr. d. A. Thompkins, Of Char
iotte, and one from Mr.. Robt M. Fur
man, Of AsheSille.
The first question discussed was the
question of using convict labor on pub
lie roads, and speeches were made by
Mr.. w. P. Bachelor, Mr.. w. J. Peele,
Mr.. Jno. A. Mills, and Prof. J. A.
Holmes, favoring the use of convicts
exclusively or as nearly so as possible
on the public roads.
The next question was, needed changes
in road laws and road management.
Prof. Holmes spoke at some length
AN Thu spy oI,,.,t Il Ia,
suggestions along the line Of needed
changes In laws and in management.
He spoke OF the mistakes that our peo-
pie had been making in past years in
road making, and declared that Cumher-
land county and the State could have
built 200 miles of macadam roads that
would have been good roads to-day
with the money that it cost to build the
plank road which had long since gone
to decay.
The following resolutions were offered.
discussed and unanimously adopted:
Resolution by Mr.. w. @. McMackin:
Resolved ~ That we urge upon all
citizens Of North Carolina the impor-
lance of using wagons and carts with
wide tires.
ty or township and municipal authori-
IleS WHO may nave OCCdclUu 10 PURCHASE
wagons or carts to purchase and use
only those with wide tires"
Resolution by Prof. ]. A. Holmes:
"That the chairman appoint at his
convenience a committee of twenty-five
to act with the North Carolina Good
Roads League in considering the revi-
sion of existing road laws, and in urg-
ing our next General Assembly to adopt
such legislation as will remedy the ex-
isting defects in these laws, and as will
provide for the employment in public road
improvements of all able bodied male
convicts whose term of sentence does
not exceed TEN years."
RESOLUTION BY w. J. PEELE.
Resolved, That the county commits
sioners Of the several counties Of the
State be requested to appoint a road