The age-herald., 1901-12-06
GOOD ROADS CAUSE
 MUCH ENTHUSIASM
800 Delegates Attend Meeting
 in Montgomery
MAYOR DRENNEN SPEAKS
Favors Creation of the Office of State Road Commissioner--Con Endorses His PIan--Ad-
 journs Today.

montgomery, DecemDer D. = Nopecldi,1- The Alabama Good Roads Association was permanently organized today by the election of a president fourteen vice president, secretary and treasurer.
 Interest has been manifested in the con- vention far in excess of the hopes of the promoters of the movement. When the convention assembled in the hall of the House of Represent atives this morning Col. J. M. Faulkner chairman of the ere dentials committee reported more than | five hundred delegates in attendance, coming from almost every county in the State. Men of prominence were listed among the delegates, and all seemed eager to learn something of road con- st uction.
 Three hundred students and thirty members of the faculty of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute were in attendance today President Wickersham of the Western Railroad of Alabama furnishing train of five cars to bring the party from Auburn
 1 Indictment weather has greatly inter fered with the demonstration of road building. very slow progress being made. The sessions of the convention today have been very interesting, able addresses being made by number of prominent | men.
 Mayor Drennen of Birmingham was one | of the speakers, and after. his strong ar gument in behalf of the creation of the i Nfice of State Road Commissioner the convention unanimously passed a resoiu- tion indorsing the scheme. | The morning session of the convention was opened with prayer by Rev. G. w. l Patterson.
 The committee on permanent organiza- 1 tion was read by Chairman Rountree as | follows:
 We recommend the following officers for the ensuing year:
 President-R. R. Poole.
 Vice-P Presidents at 1arge-J. M. Falkner Montgomery; w. M. Drennen. Birming ham; c. R. Fornham, Evergreen; Samuel Blackwell Morgan; C.. W. Hare, Tus- | kegee.
 | District e-Presidents-W B. Cooper. Marengo; M. L. Stone, Montgomery; J. | H. Adams Dale; W. A. Davis Calhoun; Judge Harlan, Tallapoosa; J. M. Craw- ford, Walker; Thomas Bradford, Chero- kee; R. B. Pettus, Madison; W. c. Chris | tan, Hale.
 secretary-J. A. Rountree. Treasurer, L. L. Gilbert.
 The report was adopted.
 Dodge Is Pleased.
 Hon. Martin Dodge, director office of road inquiries United States government, addressed the convention MT. Dodge was much graufed at the large attendance, and especially with the presence of the faculty and students of the Alabama | Polytechnic Institute. He Soresaw much good to the state in the interest manifest ed in good road construction. The speak CT said he was also much gratified to find | Montgomerys streets and roads so we'll paved and graded. The streets of Mont gomery, he said. were the best laid off and best paved that he had found in the south. The buildings were also the best constructed He spoke at length upon the work being accomplished by his de- partment, and touched upon the benefit | to be derived from improved roads. He said he found more thrifty citizenship | in Alabama than in other southern states visited, and he urged that they be not set back with the apparent difficulty in securing good roads, as the tax payers would not complain of excessive taxes when they had once had the privilege of the use of good roads. MT Dodge was enthusiastically applauded as he con- cudedA
 Hon. John w. Abercrombie superinten- dent of education for Alabama, was next presented. He spoke upon the relations | of public schools to good roads. The speaker, before reading his remarks said he must thank Senator Dodge for his ex- cellent address MT Dodge had said that Colonel Falkner had been largely instru- mental in bringing together so many peo- | pie in attendance upon this convention | T desire to say to you Senator Dodge" | said the speaker, "that we have come to consider Colonel Falkner, the most pro- gressive citizen in Alabama. Why, sir, we could barely have a great convention in this state without the assistance and cooperation of Colonel Falkner He can get anything that he desires at the hands of Alabamians, but he don't want any thing. He has almost to fight to keep the people from forcing some office upon him." This tribute to the distinguished Alabamian was loudly cheered
 The secretary read letters from many prominent citizens expressing regret at not being able to attend the convention. Among these were letters from Admiral Schley. Postmaster General Smith, Sec retary of Agriculture Wilson, Senator Morgan. Samuel Spencer, John M. Eagan, Charles A. Wickersham, R. G. Irwin, Milton H. Smith and others.
 Mayor Drennen Speaks.
 Hon. Walter Melville Drennen, mayor
 
 President Poole. Mayor Drennen's re- marks were directed towards the estab- lishment by the State of good roads department. His remarks were closely followed by his auditors, and frequent applause interrupted him. When Mayor Drennen concluded Presi- dent Moore of the National Good Roads Association arose and said he must speak of his qualification at the presence Of the students of the Alabama Polytechnic h. stitute. Like student bodies had attended conventions in many other states, but mo- where else had he found such a fine-look- ing body of students, and he desired that all of them should register. The compli- ment paid the boys brought uproarious cheers from the audience which ted for several moments.
 Frederick Duggar of the chair of agri- culture A. P. l., spoke next on the rela- ticn of good roads to diversifcation of farm products. MT. Duggar said that so long as the State continued the system of bad roads so long would 1t remain a one-crop state
 Good roads are the entering wedge for the success of industrial plants in the country districts. His paper was one of the best read before the convention