The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-09

as you go plan. He urged the people to
behind the movement in such forces that
he who opposed it would be like the dog
in the story of the Kansas puppy and the
cyclone, when the dog opened his mouth
in the face of the storm.
Mr.. Adams presented next Hon. Robert
n. Page. Mr.. Page is easily one of the
ableSt speakers in the State, He has the
confidence of his people and yesterday as
he referred to the days of his life in Moore
county the people who heard him knew
his sincerity of purpose to aid in the up
building OF that county. Mr.. Page is
President of the Congressional District
Goods Roads Association. He is intensely
interested in the subject and has made a
study of the difficulties in the way Of Sc
curing action by the people. Today he
declared that the reason the cities are
draining the country of the best of the
young generation is the fact that the coun-
try does not have good roads, and thereby
is prevented from having social condi-
tons which are craved. Good roads, he
says, will enable the people in the country
to have the necessary social conditions.
Mr.. Page attempted to show to the land
owners present that every dollar spent in
road improvement would return two-fold
to the investor in the savings from wear
and tear and time. The advantage of hav-
ing access to the markets at all seasons
are pointed out as of greatest Importance.
DR.. Geo. T. Winston, who was the next
speaker, said that not long ago gen
tleman from Boston, who has read great
hQ in tv
asked him what were the county's chief
productions, to which DIR. Winston's
ready reply was strong men, pretty wo-
men and healthy children, and with these
Moore county could produce anything else
desired" He said that if he should ask
the chief need of the country he would
say good roads.
One of the speakers, said DR.. Winston,
had said that he thought the people could
stand the tax to pay for good roads, and
some have wondered if they could afford
to increase rate of taxation already bur
densome to some, but the real wonder is,
can the people afford to pay the enormous
tax being paid every day not to have good
roads. He then used as an illustration
the fact that New York is the largest and
richest city in this country, and the reason
for it is that it has the cheapest trans
portation and the best roads. Natures
highway, the great ocean, he says is the
greatest of all good roads because of its
cheapness. Railroad facilities make New
York easily accessible, until today it costs
about the same to get thirty bales of
cotton from the farm in Moore county to
the station that it does to get them from
the station to New York city Where
there are no water-rOads or railroads there
should be good dirt roads. The amount
saved in cost of getting produce to mar
ket, he pointed out, would far more than
pay the tax necessary for the building of
excellent roads. Today it takes a day and
a half to get to some of the markets that
could be made at some seasons in half
the tiile if good roads were available.
This desire to get things to market Dr.
Winston pointed out as being responsible
for the improvement being made in all
records of transportation A train yes
terday went one hundred and twenty five
miles in as many minutes, and few days
ago horse trotted mile in two min
utes These are illustrations of the adj
vancement made III the effort to perfect
roads and get produce to market.
A revolution Would be caused, DR.. Win
ston asserted, if an effort was made by the
State to collect the tax that is now being
paid for bad roads, and he says that au-
thorities have figured that more than $10,-
100000 is being spent for bad roads in
Gorth Carolina alone each year This
amount, he contended. could be saved by
the establishment of good roads.
DR.. Winston, as did his predecessors on
the platform, called attention to the ex-
cellence of the material at hand for the
construction of fine roads in that
county, if the peple would provide
means for some work. What it costs
others $4,000 mile to build, Moore county
can build for from $500 to $500 and have
almost perfect roads.
R. H. Sykes, of the University, talked
along practical lines and gave some
figures as to the cost of road building
in other sections of the State. He told
of the work of the State Good Roads
Association and of the desire of the as
ISOLATION to aid all interested in the
movement President p. H. Hanes of Win
Salem; Secretary ]. A. Holmes, of
Chapel Hill or Treasurer Joseph G.
Brown, of Raleigh, he said will be glad
to furnish any information desired. Mr..
Sykes reminded the audience of the great
advantage in Rural Free Deliveries which,
he said can only be had in sections where
the roads have been improved.
Hon. W. L. Spoon, of the United States
Department of Agriculture, who is a ma
tive North Carolinian, was the special
representative of the United States at the
meeting today. Mr.. Spoon is an intensely
interesting talker and the construction OF