The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-03-29
work for Good Roads.


"HAT the results Of the Inter.
national Good Roads Con-
w gress recently held in Buff
falo viii be far reaching and
II great public interest there can be
little doubt. The interest shown in the
by the officials Of the vari-
Gus States of the Union and by for
eign governments is guarantee that
the movement for better highways has
taken firm root. and will grow and
flourish. Forty-two States and three
foreign governments were represented
at the Buffalo meetings. Belgium send
ing as a delegate across the Atlantic
one Of her best known civil engineers,
who is an expert on the subject OF
roads.
The expression Of opinion as to the
best methods of building and main.
tanning roads showed q wide diversity
of ideas, but the result of all the dis
cussions was the announcement that
the better plan for each section would
be to use the material nearest at hand
and best adapted for highway pur'
poses. This was almost a foregone
conclusion. 1t was shown by Pro
lessor Holmes, State Geologist OF
North Carolina, who was one Of the
speakers, that there were places IN
South Carolina where roads could be
built for SIPS or $3.50 mile. As a con.
trast to this Captain Chittenden, OF
the army engineers, in charge Of Vel.
lowstone Park improvements, showed
that it cost in some places in the great
National pleasure ground about $125
a mile to keep the roads properly wa
tered in summer. The experiences OF
New Jersey, Massachusetts,. Connect.
cut and New York were largely drawn
upon for the benefit Of the Southern
and Western States, and the explana.
ton of the workings of the Higbie.
law in the State by State
Engineer Bond was Of great value.
The employment Of convicts in road
building was urgently advocated. as
was the creation Of q Road Bureau IN
the Department of Agriculture. ex'
panding the present duties Of the OF
flee of Public Road Inquiries. The
point of convict employment Is one
on which there has been a great deal
of discussion, and the value Of convict
labor on the highways Of the various
States was shown by Senator Earle
of Michigan, whose announcement
that 36,OOOOOO days labor was
locked up in the prisons and peniten-
tiaries of the United States, which
could be utilized In improving high
way conditions caused many Of the
delegates to decide on active measures
looking to that end before their respec'
tive legislatures. There seems to be
no good reason why convicts should
not be employed in this way. The cry
Of opposition to or competition with
free labor is practically eliminated.
The men are busy on works Of public
utility and Importance, and with the
State owning the material for grinding
rock and producing good road material,
many miles of perfect modern highway
could be made each year with little
more expense than is now entailed ID
keeping these men in comparative
idleness. There will be a number OF
measures presented to the various
at their next sessions COW
ering this point, and it might be well
for voters who are in favor OF good
roads-and that means every voter
who thinks on the subject at ALTO
look after aspirants for legislative
honors, and make sure that they have
decided views on the subject.-New
York Tribune.