Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-06-26
FOR GOOD ROADS
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION In SEES.
sion AT PORTLAND.
Secretary Richardson's Report Tells
OF Advance Made in Many States
During the Past Year-AS Usual,
Washington State Is In the Ad.
vance Column.

Portland, June 22.-The fifth snnu-
al convention of the National Good
Roads Association, the first of the
gatherings of national Importance to
meet in Portland this year, at o'clock
yesterday afternoon began its first ses-
sion in Festival hall, at the Lewis and
Clark exposition grounds. President
W. H. Moore, of the association, called
the organization to order. A. M. Craw.
ford, attorney general for Oregon, in
the absence of Gov. Chamberlain, fit
ingly welcomed the visitors to Oregon,
as did Col. James jackson, U. s. A.,
retired, on behalf of the commercial
interests of Portland.
President Tells of Growth.
President Moore then reviewed the
work OF the association during the
time of his official connection with it,
and dwelt upon the amount Of work
accomplished. He pictured the cru
SADIE Of the good roads train on its pill
grimage across the continent and told
of the good work that had been done
in that way.
The speaker advocated support Of
the Brownlow- Latimer bill now before
congress, which will provide fund of
$24, 900, 900 for the development Of
good roads. He declared that this
good roads movement is destined to
sweep the land as its Importance be.
comes more generally realized, and
predicted 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. 1t is shown
that some *34 ,OOO, 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 establishment in
the minds Of the people that 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
tegral parts of the transportation sys-
TENS of the country, therefore are in
timately related to our agricultural,
commercial and industrial development
and progress. Recognizing this, we
have appealed for state departments
for roads, under competent direction
and supervision; also for the principle
of state aid, under which the state, by
general appropriation, pays a portion of
the cost of building the principle high
ways, thus tightening the burden upon
the few, uistri buting the cost and plac-
ing public road affairs under intelli.
gent supervision.
much attention has been given to
this phase of the subject, and several
of the states within this year have pro-
vided highway commissions and made
liberal appropriations for the support
of their work. Notable among these
states are Maine, New Hampshire, H.
linois, Iowa and Washington. Many
of the other states have taken advan-
ced steps in the line of modern legis-
lation, looking to the use of convict
and county prison labor in road build
ing and in the preparation of road ma
terial for distribution to the several
counties and districts. Many have al
so enacted that road taxes, or at least
a portion, shall be equally levied on
ali property, and, further, that the la
Dor system be abandoned, and all such
taxes be collected in cash, and expend-
ed under expert engineering direction.