The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-12-19
THE BUFFALO CONGRESS.
Public Interest ON Good n onds steady
aud strong In All Parts of the
United states.

One of the most important and en-.
couraging of the many conferences
and meetings which have been held in
Buffalo this year in connection with
the Pan-American exposition was the
good roads congress. 1t was note.
worthy for its size and for the prom.
Use it afforded of progress in one OF
the most backward phases of Amer.
lean civilization.
Delegates were present from AZ of
the states, and from Belgium. Mexico
and Canada. They were representa-
tive men. as a rule, and very much in
earnest. The proceedings of the con-
gress showed that its members real
lied the vast Importance of good pub
lie highways in the development of
any country's business and resU.rc. :.
and in promoting the welfare u.d
happiness of its people. There was u
general determination to improve ex-
listing conditions in the United states.
What is more to the point, il was
abundantly shown that great prog
ress was being made. Particularly
gratifying reports came from the
south, where the highways have been
worse than anywhere else in the
country, although that is saying a
great deal One of the principal rea-
sons why the use of the saddle horse
has been much more common in the
south than in any other section has
been the extremely bad condition Of
the roads for wheeled vehicles.
Yet this is part of the United
States where it is much easier to
maintain good roads than il can he
in colder regions. The greater part
of the south has little freezing wealth.
cr in winter. and hardly any IN ,ac
autumn or the spring. Their, fore,
the maintenance of good roads is
freed from one of the most serious
difficulties encountered in the north,
which is the breaking up of highways
by frost. deep and long continued
winter and winter thaws.
There was a general agreement
among representatives of all parts of
the country that the rise of public
interest in good roads was steady and
strong. and il was believed rs the
delegates from every section that
much progress would be made in the
next few years. This hopeful view is
probably well founded. In nearlyevery
important district there are enough
good roads. or samples of good roads,
to serve as object lessons. and it is
certain that wherever people have an
TO use and enjoy fine
highways they will demand the inn
prorement of other roads near by.
Comfort and convenience in the use |
Of public roads seem necessities to |
those who have any opportunity to |
ride on highways such as all prosper
Dus countries ought to consider in
Then ways and means
'f building and maintaining them are
'ound, even though it may have
seemed impossible to do so when all
he roads were bad.
The United States has very IN.
avora BILE winter climate in the great.
r part of the country, from the point
IT view of the road engineers: but
american energy and prosperity
'ught to be equal to the task, none
he less. of giving this country a sys-
EN- of common highways as good as
he average of European roads. We
hould be unwilling to admit any
onger inferiorty in that important
eature of social and economic devel.