Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-09-09

President F. w. Bahnsen, of the
Rock / sland Club.
An address of welcome was deliv-
cred by Mayor William McConochie,
who told the delegates that the city
of Rock Island was glad of the op-
portunity to entertain them, and
heartily favored the good roads
movement. But he believed the
farmers were some What suspicious as
to the good roads agitation, and
should be made acquainted with the
actual situation ana what those who
are devoting themselves to the ques-
tion are striving to accomplish, and
he was satisfied they would Join en-
Enthusiastically in the movement.
Miss Harber, the secretary of the
Interstate association, followed, Civ
ing data on road building, and show
ing how the movement, yet in its
infancy. could be accomplished.
The next speaker was Gen. f. G Har-
rison, the government road expert,
who is sent out by the depart ment of
agriculture to spread the good roads
movement. MIR Harrison is a brusque
farmer, typical man. but he told the
assembled people more things about
good roads than they could have
learned otherwise in a long time.
Mr.. Harrison began by asking why
the government should take hand
in road building. 1t is not within
the province of the government to
it could inquire into the best methods
of doing it and could instruct the peo-
pie in these same methods.
This, then, is what the government
is doing. Its attention was first
brought to the matter by memorial
presented by the board of commerce
of New York City, business men who
saw that the welfare of a city depend
ed upon the good condition of the
country surroundings.
Starting of Bureau.
In 1898 the road inquiry bureau
was started, with Gen. Roy Stone at
the head, and this bureau has sent in
quiries for data to almost every COM
munity in the United States. AS
result it has been determined that
farm produce has to be drawn on the
average of II miles from the point it
is raised to the station at which it is
shipped and that this costs on the av-
erage of PSI cents per ton to trans
port one mile. This costs in the
neighborhood of $4,000, 900 per year
to the farmers of the country, and
why? Simply because those II miles
of road are not what they should be
and should be improved. If they
were placed in tit condition, the sum
for transporting would be reduced to
minimum and the farmer would
soon be repaid the money he spent in
road mprovements.
Leaving out the question of the
gain in dollars and cents, Mr. Harri
son took up the social side of the
question. Young men are anxious
nowadays to live in the city, and if
the roads in the country can be i'm
proved, bringing in their wake other
urban improvements, then the tide
toward the great cities will be
stemmed and we will have the coun-
try population where it should stay.
The free delivery system of the
United States mails could be estab-
lished at less expense than rural post
| offices, as has already been demon
strated in New Jersey. and other
advantages of social nature could be
enjoyed.
Closing. Mr.. Harrison painted a
rosy picture of the coming country
roads, where bicycles, rubber tired
carriages and automobiles will 90
spinning along on roads which would
challenge competition with the roads
of the old country, and his enthusi-
asm was shared by his auditors.
whom he had held in close attention
throughout his talk
4
| DISTRICT ORGANIZATION FORMS.
/ Omcers Elected THIS Afteruoor-Henry