The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-30


come very potent in shaping Legislation
upon these subjects which come in the
scope of its work. And consequently he
was opposed to any unadvised stel s.
While he favored the iirst part OF :he
report, he did not think they should at
tempt to do too much at once. He was
not sure but that the manufacturer was
within his rights if he would refuse to
divulge such information, and really did
not see that the Commissioners had
right to demand it.
Prof. NJ. c.. Candess, of Georgia, ia
vored the report. The reporr did not
necessarily mean that the information
given the Commissioners was to be spread
broadcast, but the Commissioner should
know, and the manufacturer should be
compelled to furnish the means for
knowing that the grade of any particular
brand of fertilizer should be kept up.
The debate then became general, the
members taking more interest than in
any part of the proceedings, except the
watermelon feast, thus far. Mr. T. B.
Parker spoke as a farmer, he said, and
asked how he could tell what he was
getting when he bought guano, unless the
manufacturer were compelled to cor
rectly and definitely state what the sack
contained. Col Redhead and Commits
sioner Lee both spoke each urging that
the farmer should not buy by brand
name but by the quantity contained of
each of the things needed by their land.
AS it was late, the further con-
sideration of the question was postponed
until today at 10 o'clock.
Misses Birdsong and Rives were made
members of the convention amid great
applause.
The following officers were elected for
the ensuing year:
President, Frank Hill, Of Arkansas.
First Vice President s. L. Patterson,
of North Carolina.
Second Vice President, j. w. Lee, of
Louisiana.
Secretary, Royal Daniel, of Georgia.
At $50 O'Clock Prof. G. A. Holmes,
State Geologist, delivered an illustrated
address on Road making and other prob
lens of the South. He said in part
1--WE must not overlook certain large
and equally unnecessary expenses which
we and our fathers have been mourning
and which are now counting heavily
against us. 1t is often said that we are
the most wasteful people in the world.
and our history throughout the century
now nearing it's end proves the accuracy
of this statement.
1--WE allow our surface soils with their
added manures and fertilizers to wash
away year after year to an extent be-
yond estimate in money value, aggregat
ina many millions.
I'VE carelessly and needlessly burn up
our forests to the extent of many mil
III
Inmates have shown that the annual loss
from forest fires in North Carolina alone
average considerably more than a mil
lion dollars every year.
I'm North Carolina we have expended
of money, labor and timber in unneces
sary fencing during the past half CEN
fury considerably more than a million
dollars per annum. In other Southern
States this unnecessary expense has
doubtless been equally great
Eve allow our farm and cotton crops
and fruits to be destroyed unnecessarily
by insects, and our cattle and poultry to
die of preventable diseases to the value
of several millions each year. And our
personal loss on account of sickness and
time, medical fees, etc, from such pre-
ventable diseases as malaria and ty-
usually supposed--a large part of which
loss can be easily avoided by the eXer
else of more care in providing for our
selves good drinking water.
THE money, time and labor thrown
away every year in our efforts to cult
vate certain crops on lands not suited
to them will aggregate an annual loss
of many millions in each State.
&c 1in tic
costs us in North Carolina about eight
million dollars more each year than it
would cost &c these roads were good
ones. In the thirteen Southern States,
taken as whole, this annual loss will
aggregate not less than $100000,00 per
annum
THE good roads problem in the South
is a problem of vital Importance every
one admits. AS stated above, the use
of our bad roads as compared with the
use of good roads costs the people of
the Southern States to an extent which
may be considered as equivalent to a tax
call it q mud tax, a sand tax, or hill
tax if you like-of not less than $500
per capita for every man. woman and
child living in these States. And yet
this tax, so enormous, has no compen
sating benefits. We must realize, furth-
er, that in addition these bad roads eX-
ercise a blighting influence on the life
and happiness of the people in every
agricultural community.
I'm the first place, our people have
always been accustomed to bad roads.
The majority of them have never seen
q really good road, consequently public
opinion is unfavorable to any change
which involves the levy of tax. They
plead poverty without realizing the fact
that while building good roads is expen-
sive work, the expense of doing with
out them is still greater. They claim that
they are too poor to build good roads,
not realizing that in truth they are too
poor to do without them.
In order to overcome these difficulties
we must first educate the people:
through the press, through public ad-
dresses, through published reports and
by the building here and there of short
pieces of sample roads. The people must
be shown that good roads are necessary
that they pay and that they are posi-
BILE, even in comparatively poor commu-
mites The good roads movement must
be pushed by the intelligent men and
women in every community. We must
secure the generation of the farmers