The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-07-07
GOOD ROADS
CONVENTION
County Gathering Here Fri
day July 20.
MEETING LAST NIGHT
Address by Wellington E. LOucl S
The National Organizer Of
Good Roads Association.
MEETING LAST NIGHT

AT the meeting last evening at Apollo
hall fairly good sized audience Of thl
citizens OF Bennington and vicinity
were present to discuss the subject O
good roads.
The speaker Of the evening, yelling
ton r. Loucks OF ST Louis, Mo-, nat
local organizer for the National Goo
Roads association, was introduced by
W. -. Sheldon. Mr. Loucks asked that
a chairman and secretary be appoint
ed and W. b. Sheldon and A. j. Coop.
er were elected.
The sp aker then explained his ob
jet in coming into the village and the
state He had just come from Virginia
where the association has taken a firm
hold and where he has been invited 90
return this fall
Two years ago he was invited into
Vermont, he said, by several Of the
prominent men Of the state. and from
what he had learned he was OF 'he
opinion, although the National Good
Roads association was ncn-partisan
and had nothing to do with political
parties, the good roads plank would
soon be added to the platforms Of b u
parties He also gave examples Of the
work OF the association in the different
states, especially in Ohio and Mis-
souri,.
The national movement for good
roads was started in 1890 by Col W
q. Moore, and in 1900, thirty-eight
governors sent delegates to Chicago
where the association was organized
Since then thirty.two states have been
visited by good roads organizers. New
Hampshire, Maine and Vermont are
among those 10 which the movement
has not been inaugurated
Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson de-
voted sixty pages in his report TO the
president to the work OF the Good
Roads association in Jacksonville,
Ky.
The speaker then said that although
he did not know the amount expended on
our roads aud streets he could tell that
thousands and thousands OF dollars
had been spent for this purpose. He
said the curbing was good, but that
the macadamizing was poor. With
the proper officials and WORK we could
have just as good roads as New York
and Massachusetts.
Mr. Loucks explained that the plan
was to hold convention in this viii
lage, to have she officials of the Nat
ional association come here from Nir-
ginia, to invite the people from the
villages and towns OF the county and
organize a county organization to take
the matter in charge. He suggested
that the village needed good roads TO
bring the people from the country into
town, and to bring the products OF the
country directly into the village to
supply its wants.
The money of the road fund in most
counties and villages is used in repair
ing the streets and ifsome of this could
be saved to construct permanent roads
it would be of great benefit, and this
was what the association was striving
for.
1t is necessary first to start village
and county funds, then state funds,
and later to make it national fund.
The speaker then appealed to the peo-
pie of Bennington to hold the conyen
ton here, and to invite Col Moore and
the other officials and engineers to at
tend that convention. All they asked
for was their travelling expenses and
salaries which would amount to $50.
"If you wish this convention he said
in conclusion, "T will wire Col Moore
tonight, and we will meet here two
weeks from tonight. y
Mr. Sheldon then took charge of the
meeting. Olin Scott and N. NJ. Pufer
spoke few words, after which it wos
moved and carried unanimously that
the convention be held here two weeks
from last night.
The meeting adjourned to meet one
week from last evening after appoint
ing the following executive committee:
Col DIN Scott, A. NJ Torrance, M. b.
Middleton, A K. Richie, a. j. Hold
en-, Everett Harwood, John Nash, b.
f. Vail and j. II. Livingston.