The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-02

Hon. James w. Abbott of the De-
partment of Public Road Inquiries of
the United States Department of Ag-
riculture, spent a few hours in Savan-
nah yesterday, returning from the
meeting of the National Good Roads
Association at Ormond, Fla. On ac-
count of the short time which he had
to spend in Savannah, Mr.. Abbott did
not have an opportunity to call on the
County Commissioners to talk of the
good road work which is being done in
Chatham county.
He was given a drive over the SUI
burban roads of Savannah by Col. ].
H. Estill during the afternoon and was
high in his praise of the splendid roads
in the vicinity of Savannah He said
that the roads of Chatham county
were not excelled by any county in the
United States. He was especially
pleased with the Thunderbolt road and
said that the people of Savannah were
to be congratulated upon having such
a fine piece of road.
Wants Association 10 Meet Here.
Mr.. Abbott regretted that he could
not remain in Savannah for several
days, as he thought he would be able
10 learn much from the County Com
missioners that would be of value to
him in preaching the advantages to
be derived from good roads. He ex-
pressed the hope that the National
Good Roads Association hold their
meeting in Savannah next year.
MIR. Abbott is one of the leading au-
thorities in the United States on the
subject of good roads, and is in charge
Of the work of the Department of Ag-
riculture in the Rocky Mountain and
Pacific coast divisions. He was one of
the leading speakers at the convention
which has just adjourned at Ormond.
Next week he will address a good road
meeting to be held at Hartford, Conn.
Successful Meeting mt OrmOnd.
The convention of the National Good
Roads Association was a great sue
cess, Mr.. Abbott said. He said that tIg
speech Of Gov. A. ]. Montague OF Vir-
ginia was the greatest argument for
good roads that he had ever heard. lie
also spoke in the highest terms OF the
address of Mr.. F. II. Hyatt, president
of the South Carolina Good Roads AS
ISOLATION.
The Ormond convention, he says, was
almost unanimous for the Brownlow
bill which is now pending in Congress.
He said that Gov. Jennings of Florida
in his speech before the convention in
dorsed the Brownlow bill. which pro-
poses to divide the expenses of road
construction between the government
and the district through which the
roads ara built.
The Ormond convention decided that
the next meeting of the association be
held in st. Louis. May 1921. 1t is the
purpose of the association to make this
the largest and most successful good
roads meeting that has ever been held
IN the United States. Mr.. Abbott ex-
pressed the desire that photographs of
the Savannah suburban roads be placed
on exhibition at the st. Louis meeting.
Praises BrovvnlOv Bill.
Mr.. Abbott was high in his praise
of the Brownlow bill, and said he be-
lieved the bill would be passed by this
session of Congress. The bill provides
for the appropriation of $4,000. 900 in
three equal yearly instruments. All
states of less than 100000 inhabitants
will be allowed the sum of $250000 and
the balance is to be divided among
the remaining states, according to the
population. Each state will be required
to appropriate sum to the building of
good roads equal to the sum appropri-
ated by the national government.
He said the advocates Of the Brown
low bill did not expect the national
government to improve the public high
ways in the variaus states of the
Union, but they believe where the state
was willing to meet the requirements
of the Brownlow bill and raise a
sum equal to that appropriated by the
government, 1t would be a move in the
right direction, and one which would
not stop until there were good roads
in every section of the United States.