The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-03-26
GOOD ROADS MEETING
Governor Cummins Calls Conven-
tion to Select Fifty-Five Dele
gates to St. Louis Meeting.

held in Des Moines to select tifty.fve
delegates to the international good
roads convention at st. Louis. The
following portion of the governors
proclamation explains his reasons for
taking the step in order to secure dele.
gates:
81 have been requested by the Ma.
tional Good Roads association, under
whose auspices the international and
national convention has been called to
appoint five delegates from each con.
gressional, l,district of the stase Of Iowa
to represent this state in the conven-
ton at ST. Louis. l have considered
the matter carefully and believe '::at
the subject of good roads is of q Och
vital interest to the people of the state
of Iowa that these delegates should
have their hands strengthened and their
enthusiasm quickened by something
more than an appointment by the
executive.
There can be no inquiry which will
lead to more grateful results in an agri.
cultural state like ours than the INQUIRY
respecting the best way to construct
and maintain highways over which
traffic may be economically carried and
maintained efficiently throughout the
entire year. 1t has seemed to me,
therefore, that the delegates to the in
ternatlonal and national convention, to
which | have referred, should be chosen
by a state convention, which can be
organized SO as to cooperate with the
international and national convention,
and thus carry forward and perpetuate
the plans which may be adopted"
The government weighers are succeed.
ing admirably with the work of weigh
ing the mails and everything is working
smoothly. The weight of the mails is
much heavier than it has ever been be-
fore and it is expected that when the
government makes out its next con-
tracts for the transportation of the
mails it will have to pay the railways at
least one-third more than it is doing at
present. At the union transfer station
at Council Bluffs, it was stated that the
weighing thus far shows an increase of
50 to 60 per cent since last weighing.
An examination of the labels upon the
mail sacks as they are being weighed at
! the transfer shows the growing impor-
tance of both the territory along the
Pacific coast and the new possessions of
the United States in the orient. The
weighers handle great deal Of mail to
and from the Philippines islands. Much
Australian and New Zealand mail is also
handled.
George Richardson of 100 washing.
ton street Chicago, is planning an un-
usual attraction for the worlds fair at
st. Louis, in 1904. He proposes taking
the battleship Maine, sunk in the har-
Dor of Havana just before the Spanish
American war and putting the Inflated
and historical vessel on exhibition at
the fair. MIR. Richardson has bill
pending in congress which will give him
authority to take the big craft exactly
in the condition it is with the bottom
blown out and transport it to St. Louis.
He claims that his plans for the work
have the endorsement of the best engi.
neers in the country. Mr.. Richardson
looks for favorable action on his bill by
congress at the session next December.
I It is expected that Iowa will not
stand so high in the estimation of Pres.
ident Roosevelt when he learns that the
census shows the families are becoming
smaller in the state. In 1880 the aver.
age family in the state, contained So
members and now it is only 46. The
president recently expressed himself as
believer in the old fashion family of
half dozen or so and now the Iowa
politicians are wondering how they will
keep in the good graces of the president
when ne learns that only three states
have decreased in the size of their FAM
|
being Illinois, Ohio and Indiana
Centerville Iowegian.
"There is only one way, to advertise, !"
says John Wanamaker, "and that is to.
hammer your name and your business
so constantly, so persistently, so thor.
oughly into the peoples heads, that if
they walked in their sleep they would
constantly turn their heads to your
store. The newspaper is your best
friend in spite of your criticism. 1t
helps to build up your community
which supports you. When the day
comes that the newspapers are dead the
people are near the edge of the grave,
with no one to write their epitaph.
One member Of the United States
senate is 80, ten are over 70 and only
seven are under so. OF the 357 con-