The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-02-20
OUR RALEIGH LETTER
The Goad Roads Convention and Con.
ference of Leading Educators With
State OfficiaIs-federai Aid and Use
of COnvicts for Better ROsds-Our
Aopa!sCh.ar National Park-Varicus
Matters OF Interest.
RIM Our Regular Correspondent.
RALEIGH. \. C.. Feb. Il. 90

RALEIGH. n. e., Feb. II, 'O2.
Two unusually important meetings
We're held in Raleigh within the past
week-the coed Roads Convention lin
connection with practical road building
demonstrations by the crew and ma
chinery of the Southern Railway Good
Roads Train, under a contract with the
City OF Raleigh); and the conference OF
leading educators of the State with the
Governor and other State officials. anent
more and better rural schools and I'M
proved rural school facilities-both OF
them particularly successful.
An excellent plan Of work was mapped
out by the Educational Conference and
vigorous campaign of education is to be
undertaken Committees were appointed
to look after and perform the details of
this work The executive committee is
composed Of Governor Aycock, Superin-
tendent OF Instruction Toon and DR..
Charles d. McIver. Another committee.
with Professor J. Y. Joyner lis chairman.
is appointed to collect, write and dis
tribute to every newspaper in the State
once Il week consecutive articles bearing
upon public schools. and to ask pubica-
ti0n OF the same. etc. Each clergyman is
to he written to by another committee,
with DR.. Charles +. Taylor as chairman.
asking that he preach at least one sermon
each year Oh public education. Con
ferences with county superintendent, 10y
Congressional districts. are to be held.
and it is asked that superintendent TOOn
be informed oi every community APP
parentiy in good condition for agitation
on the question Of increased local taxa
ton fer better schools. 1t is the TACT
that WhiieGI per cent. of the total school
| fund of the United States is raised by
! local taxation, only | i per cent. of that
| in North Carolina is SO raised. Ample
room Tor improvement, | should say.
| Money is most needed.
| FEDERAL AID AND Use OF CONNIcTS FOR
| BETTER ROADS
| Money, Aye. that is what will make
the mare 60 along Il new and improved
system of county roads. said the good
roads delegates, and accordingly the aid
| OF the United State Government. through
| appropriations. was invoked by the good
roads congress. which also urged a more
| liberal and extended use Of convict labor
| on the public read work. The conven-
ton was largely attended hy the solid
men OF many counties. who exhibited
deep interest in the good roads question.
and Il State organization. to be known
rs the North Carolina Good Roads As
-0ciatiOn' was effected. with the follow
lag officers President r. II. Hanes: Sec
rotary, j. A. Holmes: Treasurer, Joseph
e. Brown. and Vice Presidents for each
Congressional district. The Executive
Committee is composed OF Messrs. Hanes
| Holmes and Brown. named above. and
MeSsrs. $. l.. Pat tersOn. \. W. Graham
W c. Riddick and Paul Garrett. Mem
bership is open to all citizens interested in
| the subject.
4 number OF excellent speeches were
made during the three days the congress
| was in session, and a strong and enthns
iastic sentiment for good roads is I'M
qnestionably being worked up in this
State and the meeting here has had the
effect of greatly aiding and pushing it.
OUR ApPALACHiAN NATIONAL PARK.
Senator Pritchard. who is the author
OF the bill and leading promoter OF this
| great undertaking, and who enlisted the
support Of Commissioner of Agriculture
Wilson and President Mckinley and later
President Roosevelt, is very Sanguine Oi
the success OF the Appalachian Park
scheme in the mountains At q meeting
held in Senator Pritchard's committee
room last Friday all the North Carolina
congressman and Senators Pritchard and
Simmons formed Il compact to work fOI
the bill now pending before Congress to
establish it,
Concerning some alleged opposition in
North Carolina to the bill. it is learned
authOritatively that it is based on the
groSSest ignorance and very limited in
extent without the basis OF a single good
reason to actuate it. For instance. q
preacher named Pulliam, residing III
Lenoir. Caldwell county. has distributed
Il printed letter in that section. claiming
that Congress should take no further
step till the brethren" have opportunity
to consider and pass on the scheme il
their association meetings. One of his
"argnmonts" is the unreasonable and
highly improbable mot to say impossible
one, that another religious sect might
find it easier to get a fOOthOld' in the
territory described if the park is estab
lished; but how such a measure will affect
the religious standing and opportunities
or privileges OF the people is hard to I'M
derstand. 1t is simply ridiculous.
Senator Prtchard says that the bill eX
presSly provides that small farmers own
ing 200 acres or less may hold their land
as now, if they do not desire to sell to the
Government-and this would seem t.
dispose OF the 'rumOr'' that the small
farmers would be deprived of their hold
ings within the prescribed area. The
measure is all right and will be a great
thing for North Carolina and the South
| re IA 10, ,pol, r,