The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-28
North Alabama Convention As-
 sembIes at ID O'clock
MANY DELEGATES EXPECTED
Methods of Improving the Roads of the State Will Be Discussed By Those Interested In
 the Work.

The North Alabama Good Roads asso- citation will hold it's first annual conven- tion In the city council chamber in the city hall today. The session will begin at 10 a. m., and President B. F. Roden invites the public to attend.
 The following citizens of Jefferson county have been appointed delegates to the convention: J. P. Stiles, A. J. Tar rant, Hugh McGeever, J. K P. Laird, William Wilson, J. F. B. Jackson, Cap tain Crook, John McCartin. P. L. Haigh- lew, W. R. Fairley, W. s. Brown P. c. Hickman, G. L. Young. Paul Green and E. Lesser. The president says that a few ot hers will be added to the list of dele gates today.
 A full attendance of representatives from the various counties of north Ala bama is assured, nearly all or the vice presidents having signified their intention of being present
 Vice-Presidents.
 Following is complete list of the vice presidents:
 First, R. A. O'Rear of Walker
 Second, Capt Jack Chambers of Mar shall.
 Third, J. c. Wood of Jackson.
 Fourth, Frank Fitch of Bibb.
 Fifth, w. F. Foreman of St. Clair.
 Sixth R. B. Kyle of Etowah.
 Seventh, T. H. Davidson of Blount
 Eighth Bud York of Cullman.
 Ninth w. G. Cochran of Tuscaloosa.
 Tenth. Pleasant Shaw of Shelby.
 Eleventh, J. E. Camp of Talladega-
 Twelfth A. P. Smith of Green.
 Thirteenth, Daniel Walden of Morgan. Fourteenth, D. F. Cook of Calhoun.
 Fifteenth, S. L. B. Blacke of Cle- burne
 Sixteenth, John T. Kane of Clay.
 J. A. Rountree is secretary and Mayor w. M. Drennen is treasurer of the asso- citation.
 The principal business before the con vention will be the consideration of the outlines of bill to the legislature pro- viding for system of county taxation for the construction of good roads.
 George L. Young of East Lake makes some suggestions as to good roads. He says:
 Use of SIag.
 "The two very important questions to consider Is how to build good roads and how to get the money with which to build them; the latter being by far the greater problem to be solved. First Material-Sag and chert are known in Jefferson county to be the best of all materials to produce a lasting roadbed, yet there are counties in the state of Alabama which have no chert or slag. Then the question arises as to whether they shall use chert and slag shipped at great expense or crushed limestone if any local; or use pebble or gravel. Nearly any kind of hard material will make a pretty fair macadem road, much better than causeway or the old mixture of mud and water. Just here let me say that there should be a state superin- tendent of public roads, whose duty it should be to work diligently for good road extension In the state legislature and in the halls of congress. He could do much toward getting railroads to haul material from this district at very low rates; which is altogether necessary if some of our counties are to have good roads. Further, the day is not far dis tant when the accumulation of slag will necessitate a consumption greater than that of railroad ballast and cement man. ufacturing. That we have been asleep for thirty years as to the responsibility of our national government in public road improvements as well as the possi- bilities of road revenue from that source no reasonable man will now deny when we remember the millions which have been expended by our government in the improvement of our waterways.
 Appropriation of $3oo,ooo.
 "Imagine an appropriation of $SO0OOO for five years to the state of Alabama each county to get $25,0OO provided every county applying would come up with at least double the amount of government appropriation. This would make an im- provement of $4OOO,0OO within four years. by which we would reap the benefit of splendid macadam roads, as well as the disbursement or circulation of this large sum among the laboring classes. Such a state superintendent might be able to create a state road fund to be held in reserve for the construction of state line or any practical line connecting several counties. It has been demonstra- ted convincingly that no county affords sufficient annual revenue to make satis- factory progress in road development or improvement. The per capita assess ment is practically failure, or at least the amount of money and labor procured that way is insignificant as compared to needed Improvements on repairing"
 In conclusion MT. Young remarked that indiscriminate taxation would be odious to the people if overdone and that there was no good reason why each county should not have common law to main tain at least one grading outfit. Such law, he thinks, should include privi- lege of a patition form the citizens of any precinct to the effect that said un- dersings would undertake to macada- mize some described piece of road with their own teams and labor, the countys