The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-06-24
F1R GOOD ROADS
,,7loyAL ASSOCIATION IN sEs.
SION At PORTLAND.
secretary richardson's Report 'e'''
ADVANCE made in Many States
-,,n the Past Year-As Usual,
v,,hinaton State Is In the Ad-
vance Column.

,-.,ond June 22.-The fifth emu
f'rontion of the National Good
al oon ASSOCIATION, the first of the
Ros Outings of national importance to
sa'u in Portland tbs year, at 2 O'Clock
nee. s.aav afternoon began it's first ses.
yes'' IN Festival hall, at the Lewis and
slDu exposition grounds. President
I'M " q Moore, of the association, called
w. nr,anization to order. A. M. Craw'
t .Dsa '' attorney general for Oregon, in
ivlu aboence of Gov. Chamberlain, fit
.no s'r welcomed the visitors to Oregon,
lns s;d Col. James Jackson, U. s. A.,
a. 1900 on behalf of the commercial
interests of Portland.
president Tells of Growth.
prosident Moore then reviewed the
,ro,t of the association during the
,;me of his official connection with it,
and dvelt upon the amount of work
aocomplished. He pictured the cru
sode Of the good roads train on its pill
image across the continent and told
q tho good work that had been done
in that way.
The speaker advocated support of
tho Brownlow Latimer bill now before
congress, which will provide fund of
s94 OOO, 900 for the development of
aood roads. He declared that this
oood roads movement is destined to
sweep the land as it's Importance be-
comes rore generally realized, and
nredicted that nothing can arise to
curb its ultimate triumph as an in
dustrial necessity.
Following Mr.. Moore's speech Col.
R.W. Richardson, secretary Of the as
ISOLATION, submitted his annual report,
and President Moore appointed the
CREDENTIALS committee.
SeCrefary'S Report.
In the course of his report Secretary
Richardson says that some forty six
good roads associations have been
formed during the year. Conventions
have been held in Missouri, Arkansas,
Louisiana, Texas, Illinois, Kansas,
Iowa, Nebraska, Idaho, Washington
and Oregon. Reports gathered through
the association Office and by the indus
trial departments of the several rail-
roads show great impetus given to
public road building in the portions
Of the country where these campaigns
have been carried on. It is shown
that some s34 ZOO, 900 has been raised
by bond issues and direct taxation in
the states and counties traversed by
the Illinois Central and the Southern
Railway systems, and is being expend-
ed in permanent road construction in
the states and counties traversed by
these two great railways.
This association" says Mr. Rich.
ardson, "has maintained as one of its
Leading policies the esta blishment in
the minds of the people that a perma-
nent system of public roads is primar-
lily the most necessary of all internal
public Improvements; that road affairs
should not be left exclusively to the
rural districts and that the burden of
their cost and maintenance imposed
upon them. The public roads are in
tesFal parts of the transportation sys-
'ems OF the country, therefore are in
umately related to our agricultural,
commercial and industrial development
anu progress. Recognizing this, we
s na'e appealed for state departments
iof roads, under competent direction
ano supervision; also for the principle
VI s'ate aid, under which the state, by
general appropriation, pays a portion Of
sue cost Of building the principle high
aa's' thus tightening the burden upon
sue lew, distributing the cost and plac-
lug puollc road affairs under intelli.
gent supervision.
Westinghouse Good Work.
ri; nach attention has been given to
~ 'v pnase OF the subject, and several
va .ue states within this year have pro-
E lueo midway commissions and made
ot V .a appropriations for the support
s,. .ueif work. Notable among these
En'; are Maine, New Hampshire. H.
Of u LUIS Iowa and Washington. Many
css 'ne ~ other states have taken advan-
ls 's steps IN the line of modern legis-
sna on' looking to the use of convict
in. inv county prison labor in road build
ts.;a ano In the preparation Of road ma
cora mo. LOT distribution to the several
~ aa and districts. Many have al
no nao1ed that road taxes, or at least
ali pT na shall be equally levied on
bo, property, and, further. that the la
ts1e s' ~ be abandoned, and all such
cd vs. 10 collected in cash, and expend-
uuoer expert engineering direction. -
'CR IN TRUCKcc DITCH.