The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-21
GOOD ROADS MEETING
SENATOR LATIMER SPEAKS TO
 JACKSONVILLE CONVENTION.
Says the Gevernment should Assist the People fn the Construction of Permanent Highways of
 Travel.

Jacksonville. Fla. Jan. 2o.-The morning session of the National Good Roads Convention was opened with an address by Henry Lond. president of the Florida Association. who declared that Florida Is building roads cheaper
 than the national government builds. He declared that the cost in Florida ranges from one thousand to twenty two hundred dollars a mile. MT. Dodge. national director. said that the
 expense of s5.000 a mile is not consider ed excessive in the North for perma- nent roads.
 An ovation was given Senator Lati- mer of South Carolina, who was in- troduced as the author Of the bill be- fore Congress for federal appropria- tions for building roads throughout the country: the distribution to be made upon a population basis. He said We appropriate money for building canals, cleaning out harbors and rural mail delivery, but some assert that we can not constitutionally appropriate money for building roads. say 1t has been done and that Congress has the un, doubted right to make such appropria- tions. A majority in Congress favors the plan. for I have twice canvassed the matter. am not opposed to a large army and a better navy, but I say that the Smoney belongs to the people of the United States and should be expended in enhancing their happi- ness and placing all the people within reach of church and school advant- ages"
 At the afternoon session Howell Carter. member of the Louisiana State Board of Agriculture and Immigration, appeared before the convention and invited 1t to hold Its next meeting i1 Baton Rouge. He. brought with hin. invitations from Governor Blanchard, J. G. Low. commissioner of immigra- ton, the mayor of Baton Rouge and the president of the Progressive League of that city which were read.
 A number of short talks followed. One of the speakers. W. D. Glessner. said:
 Now we have an offer for the Gov ernmert to pay half the cost. When the Government improves the navi- gable streams of the country for the benefit of commerce it does not ask us to pay half the cost, but the Govern ment goes ahead and pays it all. We have some nayigable roads Gin wet weather) which we want improved, and 1t Is just as important to the people to have the Government pay for im- proving these roads in the interest of commerce as 1t is to pay for improv- ing navigable streams.
 The Government has donated vast areas of land to aid in the building of railroads. Why should not the Gov ernment donate lands for the building of surface roads throughout the coun- try"
 At the night session Representative w. R. Warnock of Ohio delivered an address and the report of the commit tee on resolutions was read and adopted.
 The resolutions advised the creation of a bureau of information and the es- tablishment, of journal to be devoted to road work through the influence of the National Good roads Association at tho earliest practicable moment. A law was recommended removing all convicts from competition with honest labor at the earliest date and author izing tEeir use upon the public roads or in preparing material for their con- struction. The convention endorsed the Latimer good roads bill now pend ing in the Senate, The business ses- sion adjourned, but the delegates will go tomorrow morning to inspect the road being construrted by the United States Government.