The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-10-16
FOR GOOD ROADS
STATE ASSOCIATION HAS Rrr,,
FORMED.
Result of the Two Days Conven.;.
At Seattle---Samuel Hill p,...
dent---Local Organizations Form,
ed in Mostly All Western Gov
ties.

Sea Oct. 11.-From the ooos
roads convention has emanated tho
Washington Good Roads casso;at;0n
which has for its obiet the extension %
better systems of highways througbou.
this state. Samuel Hill, whose mfr.
ence was material in bringing the GOOD
roads party here, is president of tho
newly formed organization, and James
b. Meikle. secretary of the Seattle
chamber of commerce, the secretarv
The third state officer is N. B. Coffmar
of Chehalis. who was elected treasurer
In nearly all the counties of Western
Washington presidents of local organ.
izations were chosen, who also will he
vice presidents of the state association
This is the beginning of substantial
benefit which will result to the peonle
of Washington through the visit of the
representatives of the government in
behalf of the go"d roads movement
Thus will lasting benefit be conferred
upon the state, as those who have at.
tended the sessions of the convention
are determined to make use of the many
and helpful suggestions in road build.
ing and in the value of concentrated
effort which have Deen offered them bv
the various Speakers to whom they
have listened.
The commissioners 90 from here to
Portland, where they will probably re.
main for week. The next stop is at
Boise, Idaho, and that ls the beginning
of their homeward trip, as the season
is too far advanced to preach good roads
with the best results.
Seattle, Oct. 10.-In spite of the fail.
ure of the weather man to cooperate
with the crusade for good roads now be-
ing started in Seattle, a goodly number
of local residents and out of town visit
ors met at Little's hall for the opening
session of the convention. The princi.
pal feature of interest at the opening
session was the talk of Martin Dodge,
who is in charge of the good roads
work being done by the government.
The possibilities of government aid in
the construction of roads was pointed
out by Mr.. Dodge by analogy with the
government work in river and harbor
improvements. From an appropriation
of $40, 900 in 1860 this fund had been
increased until $40, 100000 was carried
by the last rivers and harbors bill. If
the people of the country make it plain
that they wish public money used in
the development of good roads Mr..
Dodge thinks that congress would re-
spond generously in appropriations for
that purpose. The visit of the commits
sion 10 the Pacific coast, Mr.. Dodge said,
was made possible by the increase In
the appropriation, made upon the fio'r
of the house through the efforts OF
Thomas II. Tongue, representative from
Oregon; and the route through the
Northwest which has brought the COM
mission to Seattle was determined upon
largely through the insistence OF Sam
uel Hill of this city, who would have
the commission in Seattle, and would
not be denied.
Mr.. Dodge also quoted prophecy o.
President Garfield as to the fac,h'
Coast. Garfield once declared his DE-
lief, said Mr.. Dodge, that as the ci,les
and civilization of modern times sha'
center about the Atlantic ocean arc
greater than the civilization that cen.
tered about the Mediterranean as u,'
Atlantic ocean is greater than the Me'.
iterranean sea. so the civilization OIL In0
future that shall center about the Ia.
cific will be greater than the preseh, az
the Pacific is GREATER than the Atlantlc.