The Irish standard., 1898-02-12
TALK ABOUT GOOD ROADS.
session of the L. A. w. Devoted to This
Important Subject,


St. Louis. Feb. 10.-A majority Of
delegates to the National Assembly Of
the League Of American Wheelmcn,
which met Wednesday, are In the city.
Wednesdays sessions were devoted to
the discussion Of the good roads move
ment and the time was taken up with
interesting addresses made by those
prominent in that part of L. a. w. work.
The delegates were late in assembling.
and it was II o'clock when. with
good attendance, President Morrison
called the convention to order. Mr.. Otto
Doerner, of Milwaukee, chairman of
the national highway improvement
committee, was introduced as chair
man of the meeting. He spoke OF
the work of the committee and said
lie was glad to report that 1t was receive
ing help in its movement from the
farmers of the country. who, more than
anybody else outside of the l.. A. w.,
were interested in good roads. Sterling
Elliott, of Massachusetts, ex-president
of the National league, was the first
speaker. He spoke briefly on the Ills
tory of the good roads movement" The
principal address Of the day was that Of
Prof. John Hamilton, of Harrisburg,
Pa, who is president of the national in
stitute conductors, and author of the
national road bill, which is expected
to do go much for the improvement of
roads In that state. His address was en-
titled Good Roads Prospects in Penn
sylvania. Pennsylvania is one Of q few
states which have given aid to tho
counties and townships within their
borders in the building of good roads.
About ten years ago when the agita-
ton of the good ronds question was
begun, the road system of Pennsylvania
was a mass of confusion and ineffi-
cheney. 1t was found that there were
in force over 1900 different enact
ments In regard to roads and bridges.
There were about 100000 miles of roads
in the commonwealth, not including
the turnpike roads, controlled by cor
porations or the streets and boulevards
of cities and boroughs. These roads,
together with the bridges, had cost the
citizens of the state annually about $4,-
100000.
A. 3. Choat, member of the national
highway committee for Minnesota, who
has lately succeeded in securing the
passage by the legislature Of that state
of resolution favoring the adoption Of
IN amendment to the constitution pro-
viding state aid in the building of high
ways, presided at the afternoon session.
On assuming the chair Mr.. Choat spoke
on Estate Aid for Building Wagon
roads in Minnesota"
''Thc Streets Of Chicago" was the sub
ject taken by Frank w. Moulton, of that
city. He told Of the poor condition of
the thoroughfares there, where SOC, 1000
wheel1nen use the streets, and detailed
the efforts that were being made for
their betterment. In five years, he pre-
dicted, Chicago would have the best
streets Of any city in the country.
f. G. Harrison, of the United States
bureau of road inquiry, Washington, d.
c., and secretary Of the New Jersey
Road Improvement association, fol-
lowed with an address on What New
jersey Farmers Think of State AID"
His talk, which was highly interesting,
was illustrated with the stereopticon.
Other speakers were Levi Chubbock,
secretary of the Missouri Dairymen's
association, whose paper was on the
Location Of Roads," Street Commits
sfoner Miner, of St. Louis, "On the
Streets of St. Louis" and Il. w. Patti
son, of St. Louis, on "XVide Tirea."