The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-03
SOUTHERN PEOPLE
 ARE NOW AROUSED
Realize That Good Roads Are
 Badly Needed
THE WHOLE SOUTH BEHIN
Lack of Materials Is One Cause and People Have not Yet Recovered from Depressed Period. Con-
 venton Called.

The people of the south appear to be greatly aroused on the question of high | way improvement. The roads of the south arc. on the whole, worse thaa those Of any ether section. There are several req | sons for, this among which may be men toned unfavorable climatic conditions and scarcity of road-building materials. To these may be added the fact that the south has hardly as yet fully recovered from the devastating effects of the civil war, and the population and wealth per capita are less in proportion to the mile age of roads than in most northern states.
 But the public-spirited citizeas of the south are enthusiastic advocates of bet ter roads notwithstanding these obstacles. In many counties of North Carolina, Ten nessee and Texas, bonds have been issued and many miles of first class roads con- structed.
 sand-clay Roads.
 If there is anything worse than a clay
 road it Is one of sand But apparently by
 accident it was discovered I few years ago that sand and clay thoroughly mixed in proper proportions make an excellent road. As result of this discovery large mileage of sand-elay roads mas been constructed in North and South Carolina, and some In other states. Two adVan- tages of this kind of road ara cheapness of construction and aboundance O. ma terial. 44t In many coast counties in the south shells are used for making roads, and ttpV pXpai1nnt e1Jbgttt11ta crushed stone. In southern Alabama and Louisiana may be found some stretches of shell road that are as fine as any in the country.
 It is a matter of surprise to some that the sentiment for national aid to road i'm provement should be so strong In the south. The strength of that sentiment is shown by the fact that the pioneer ad- vocates of that plan in both houses of Congress are from the south-Represen- tative Brownlow of Tennessee and Sena- tor Latimer of South Carolina The leg islature of Tennessee was the first to memorialize congress to make an appro-
 priation for road Improvement. Getting Broad-Minded. At the recent hearing before the senate committee on agriculture northern Sen
 ator tried to auizz good roads commit teeman from South Carolina by asking if the people of his state had overcome the prejudice which used to prevail there against government interference in local affairs" The answer he recslved, 'eYes, we are getting broad-minded down there D was greeted with applause. The fact is that the south has been aroused hy stern necessity. The farmers of the south want the help of theNgovernment in improving their roads because they need 1t baGly, and because. like farmers in all sectiors, they think they are entitled to lager share in the direct benefits O. govern
 ment appropriations than thes have here tofore received
 The New Orleans Progressive Union is arranging for a big good roads oonven- ton to be held in that city April and [. Governor Heard of Louisiana has is- sued a proclamation in the lnts est Of the convention. At least five states, Ten
 nessee, Alabama, Mississippi. Louisiana and Texas are expected to take part, and
 the governors of all these states have
 accepted invitations to join in and help
 make the meeting a success. A large
 attendance is assured, and without doubt
 the question of national aid will come
 up for discussion and action.