The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-03

back home to dinner.
 Mir. Roden said one solution of tn problem of poor roads is for the peopl to ''drop politics." If man is a can didate for office next year he said he afraid to advocate tax this year. Good roads, MT. Roden said bring rura free mail delivery. Every man in lief ferson County has his mail brought t his door. When government agents in spected Bfount County for rural delivery Mr. Roden said. they reported that tn roads were bad and the service coul, not be established.
 "If you all are not willing to so dowi in your pockets" said Mir. Roden, "Yo' just as well so back home and say vol haven't been to the Good Roads Con vention. You've got to pay for goo' roads and they're worth it."
 Bad roads, Mir. Roden declared. are op posed to Christianity and education.
 There's nothing" declared MT. Roden that conduces to Christianity. goo, morals. education, citizenship and civili zaton as does good roads,"
 M r. Hare Grew Eloquent.
 The next speaker was c. W. Hare o Tuskegee, First Vice-President of thu Alabama Good Roads Association an,
 
 Mir. Hare made an eloquent address h said there was no necessity to point t, the bad roads of Alabama nor to poin to the necessity for good roads. Blu in agitation he said the bad roads migh be made good roads.
 Under the new Constitution Mir. liar said the Legislature meets but once II four years. This made it urgent tha an elastic law should be enacted giving t' the counties the right to advance thei road systems.
 AS representative of the press of Ala hama MT. Hare said he was glad to sa. that every newspaper in the State wal in sympathy with the movement for goot roads
 Speaking of the political aspect of tn, matter Mir. Hare said he had been ckNs' observer of public movements in An bama and he declared he had necer seer a. public man who was courageou! enough to stand by his honest convic tions who was not successful in the end
 Mud Roads of Barbour.
 Hiram w. Hawkins of Barbour County followed Mir Hare. He spoke of the mud roads of Barbour County and of ont good road in his neighborhood where Il was easy to travel eight miles an hour.
 MT. Hawkins spoke of the roads Of Kentucky where he said 1t was daily custom for heavily laden wagons te travel fifty miles a day.
 Then Mir. Hawkins spoke of persons coming to Alabama looking for homes and crying out Take me back, take me back where they have good roads,
 On the subject of taxation MT. Flaw. kins said he would be willing to double l.s .s.. f@., I. HAx doubled and good roads established il would be a measure of economy to tho farmers.
 This is the greatest question which i, before Alabama Legislature today" de- clared MT. Hawkins with great emphasis The roads are disgrace to the civili zation of Alabama. This question is the foundation rock of the civilization of any country"
 Concluding Mir. Hawkins said public sentiment must be quickened. The farm CTS must be organized, and the men who were assembled here must go to worl and never cease agitating the matter un til something is accomplished.
 An Expert Road Building.
 MT. Hawkins was followed by B. B Smith, Montgomery architect and en gineer. who has been employed in build ing roads in Jackson County. He declared that there was no reason why public highways should not be built with a. much care as highways are built fol great corporations.
 MT. Smith showed that roads laid ou by engineers usually saved from three tC five miles in every twenty miles. Al engineer, he said, followed the topog raphy of the country and got the bes results. The Commissioner of Jacksor County, MT. Smith said. had spent $160, ,00 for roads and not more than $50 hat been spent for rights of way.
 In the beginning of the work, MT Smith said. the roads of Jackson Coun ty were the worst he ever saw in hi. life. The people, he said, came ant watched the process of road building ant soon began taking contracts. Now the people of Jackson County have goot roads and are educated in road building
 The three principles to govern road building, MT. Smith said, were first drainage; second, drainage; third. drain age-if we didn't have any rains wet havc good roads,
 He then went into an explanation oi drainage and road building and declared that right of way for road should bt not less than t1tty rect.
 The establishment of good roads, MT Smith declared. changed the whole as. pect of a country. He said the people build new fences, new houses and better barns when they get good roads.
 Tt makes d country look like people lived there." said MT. Smith.
 MT. Smith spoke of the various kinds of road building material. He said that in counties in which rock and gravel were not accessible. burnt clay could be used and it made an excellent roadbed
 Speaking of maintenance of roads MT Smith said that the lack of maintenance was the greatest mistake made by coun. ties. A man should be kept to every eight or ten miles of road, he said, and by in. telligent inspection the roads could bt kept in good order.
 MT. Smith said the roads of Jackson County had cost from $1,250 to $2,250 peI mile.
 Roads in this country" Mir. Smith said, can be built for from $500 to g. .2O' a mile. The roads we are building fl Jackson County for $2.200 a mile would cost from 5000 to S7.000 in New Jersey
 MT. Smith in closing created enthusiasn by declaring that Gods country began at the Gulf and extended north and tha with good roads Alabama would be tn, greatest country in the world.
 Delegates were evidently interested greatly in the address of Mir Smith ant he answered a number of questions.
 Committee on Legislation.
 Mir. Roden of Birmingham. moved tha q Committee of seven be appointed witl Chairman Poole added to draft resolu