The Monticellonian., 1904-01-28
Over Five Hundred Representative Citizens From All Parts of the
 State in Attendance.
PAST YEARS WORK MOST GRATIFYING
Resolutions Adopted and Proposed Legislation Outlined = Convention Endorses 6rownlow Bill for Nation. al Aid-Newly Elected Officers.

That the people of Arkansas are thoroughly alive to the great necessity for better roads, and are gen. erously aiding toward accomplish ing the desired end is evidenced by the interest taken in the good roads convention held in Little Rock last week, which was attended by over five hundred of the states most sub stantial citizens. Politics were en- tirely eliminated from the proceedings Of the convention, and measures and not men were discussed. Hon. w H. Moore, president of the National Good Roads Association, and Hon. J. E. killebrew, a special agent of the na- tional governments good roads depart ment. were among the speakers
 After the usual welcome address and response. the convention got down to business by electing Hon S. Q. Seyier of Camden president. and Hon. o. c. Ludwig of Little Rock, sec retary. On taking the chair Presi- dent Seyier reviewed the work for good roads the last year He said in part:
 During the past year our own be loved state has been partially organ ized and the results are clearly visible here today. Good roads advocates have carried on a war of education which is beginning to force the minds of the people and the results in a short time will be so great that it will be asked, Why for so many years has this idea of improving the local high ways been overlooked2'
 When it is fully realized by the great masses of the people that the good roads association aims simply at lessening the cost of interior trans portation and adding to the comfort of country life, there will be a loosen ing of the state and national purse. strings.
 Look over this house and scruti- nize the delegations from the various counties Go into all of the other states and look over the good roads conventions, and there read the pro gress which has been made. These conventions are vivid and lasting illus trations. telling the story more elo- quently and more forcibly than l can. Look over the public records of your state and see the dawning of a new era in road building by taxation, in hA af and in the forming of improvement districts for the purpose of building and beautifying streets.
 The old method of warning out hands to spend few hours at time for q few days in drinking branch water and cracking jokes on the country highway. ostensibly improving 1t, is doomed, and in a few years it will be memory. Why? Because it is cheaper to be taxed and have your roads built with ready money than to work and build them with warned road hands. Taxation reaches every. body. every corporation and every in. terest, while warning out hands means few giving their time for the benefit of all. Ready money brings the best results because it secures the best labor and leaves the farmer, the Ia, borer the artisan and the manufae turer free to apply his earning capae ity to the work in hand"
 Secretary Brown reported that the past years business consisted of a systematic course of educational work. A vast quantity of literature was distributed gratis to citizens ir all sections of the state, and the inter- est in the movement is very gratfy ing.
 In discussing road work, Hon W. H. Moore, president of the National Good Roads Association, said the first thing to do was to buy the right kind of machinery and use the right kind of material. Touching upon the prop osition of national aid MT. Moore out lined the plans of the national asso- citation to ask congress to provide for series of great national highways, that of the central diisvionKtS yg that of the central division starting in Chicago and running to Galveston, Tex distance of 1,090 miles, via St Louis. Little Rock and Iexarkana The Atlantic coast division. beginning at Augusta. Me. and extending to Miami Fla, embraced 1.710 miles: the Pacific coast road from Vancouver to San Diego, Cal, 1,493 miles, The northern. or lake division. road New York to Duluth, 1,530 miles; the cen tral division, east and west, Washing ton to Sacramento. 2.750 miles; the gulf, or southern division, road, Day ton to Corpus Christi, l,360 The plans involved an expenditure of $G3S eco for each state.
 In his address Hon. J. B. Killebrew stated that he had attended conven- tions in many states and nowhere had he witnessed greater interest than was shown by the large attendance at this convention. He pointed out what he conceived to be needed reforms in hot T !,