Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-03-20
ALABAMA HIGHWAYS
GROWING SENTIMENT IN FAVOR OF
BETTER COUNTRY ROADS.

Relation of Good Roads to Public
SchooIs-.AcccssibiIit IA Factor In
Education-A state Is Measured by
Its Roads.
The counties of southern Alabama
met in convention at Mobile recently
and organized a good roads assOcia-
ton, elected officers and adopted
series of resolutions demanding such
legislation as will place the state in
a position to plan and construct public
roads in n more scientific manner than
at present obtains.
The Hon. J. ". Abercrombie, super
intendent Of public instruction for the
state Of Alabama, discussed the sub
ject of Good Roads and Their Rela-
tion TO Country Schools" He spoke in
part as follows:
The enrolment in the white schools
of Alabama is only Ga per cent of the
school population. In the colored
schools it is only As per cent. Deduct
ing % per cent for Withdrawals and
!rregularity in attendance, which IS n
very low estimate, we have a daily at
tendance in the white schools of rs per
cent Of school population and in the
colored schools a daily attendance of
sc per cent. In those states where the
roads are good the average daily at
tendance is from % per cent to 30 per
cent greater. 1t is reasonable to con-
clude then that something besides gen.
eral interest Is necessary.
Though the interest be widespread
and intense, the enrolment and attend
ance will be regulated greatly by the
cost of going. For several years our
common schools have been practically
free. Now they are entirely free for at
least four months in the year. Yet
the attendance Is not as large or as
regular as it should be-nOt as large or
as regular as 1t is in many other states.
Hence we conclude that something be-
sides general interest and free tuition
is needed.
Somebody may suggest that the
great necessity is a competent teach
by those who are experienced in such
matters that no school can be a sue
cess, in the fullest sense Of the term,
without a thoroughly qualified teacher,
one in whom the people have faith. 1t
was for that reason that the lawmak-
ing power established recently a new
system for the examination and certiti-
cation Of teachers, by which the quail
fications of the teachers in the public
schools have been increased more than
100 per cent. The board created for
that purpose has labored faithfully
and impartially and fearlessly to elimi-
nate from the ranks Of the educators
those who are not qualified for the
service. Great things have been aC-
complished in that direction. Our
teachers are better fitted for efficient
service than ever before. Yet the at
tendance upon the schools, the country
schools especially, is too frequently
small and irregular. Something is nee
essary other than general interest or
free tuition or qualified teachers.
"a school may have all these things,
may be perfectly equipped as to build
ing, furnishings and trained teacher,
and at the same time prove to be fail
ure on account of lack Of accessibility.
Accessibility depends upon the quality
of the public roads. Our good public
roads are on par with our good
schoolhouses. The one would be about
| as difficult to find as the other What
Is the encouragement to erect good
buildings along impossible highways?
We do not build good residences even
in such places. Business establish
ments and industrial enterprises do not
flourish there. InacceSsibility and high
civilization seldom accompany each
other. Senator John T. Morgan spoke
truly when, In a recent letter to Mr.. l..
| L. Gilbert, secretary of the Montgom-
cry Commercial and Industrial associa-
! ton, he said: Not only are good roads
| pleasant and ornamental features of a
! country, but they are the wiseSt and
most economical bestowal of money
and labor Every civilized country is
| measured by its roads as much as it is
| by its industries in the estimate that
men place upon It's value 1t is pos
sible to have good roads without good
| schools, but it IS absolutely impossible
| to have the best of schools without
| good roads. As a rule, the efficiency
of n countrys common schools may be
| measured by the condition of its pub
| lie roads"
| President d. =. BestOr of the board
| of trustees OF the Medical College Of
| Alabama discussed good roads in their
relation to the medical profession and
| the patient He said the good roads
| movement had been making splendid
| progress 1t must be remembered
| that it took nearly 100 years to get the
| central government interested in the
! question of rivers and harbOrS. Even
| Calhoun and King, who was an Ala
bamian, had been opposed to making
| these appropriations, and other great
! statesmen had been slow about taking
up the question of internal improve
ments. But the good roads movement
| had met with a prompt public re-
sponse, and there was much to be
thankful for.
Coming down to the question of the
! physicians interest in good roads, he
| said during recent visit to another
state he was impressed by the fact
that many of the physicians used bi-
cycles They could not do it in Ala
bama. In the state to which he re
ferred the physicians only charge
| 81 for a visit. An Alabama they
charge So They had to do it, and the
bad condition of the public roads was
| responsible for It. Better roads would
mean that the physician, whose lot is
| hard one Mt best, would endure fewer
hardships and he would be able to
reach the patient more quickly and
would be able to do a better part by
| the patient.