Sharp County record., 1907-01-04
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT
MEMORIALS AND PETITIONS TO BE
PRESENTED TO THE LEGlSlA-
TURE ASKING FOR LAWS TO
ENABLE COUNTIES TO
BUILD AND IMPROVE
ITS ROADS.

J. S. Hawkins, secretary of the Ar
kansas Goods Roads Association, is
making an active campaign in the in
terest of good roads preliminary to
favorable action on the part OF the
General Assembly. Memorials are to
be presented from all parts of the
State asking that laws be enacted en-
abling the counties to build and i'm
prove its highways.
Mr.. Hawkins has addressed the fol
lowing open letter to county judges
and mayors, secretaries of Boards Of
Trade, Business Mems Leagues, Far
mers' Unions, labor unions and Ar
kansaw Travellers Of the State of Ar
kansas from Arkansas Good Roads AS
sociation:
''Honored Sirs-On behalf of the
Arkansas Good Roads Association, |
take pleasure in addressing, through
you, as representative factors of our
great commonwealth, every voter OF
the State.
MAY we not, as we near the close
of perhaps the most prosperous year
In the history of the State, extend to
you a word of cheer, happy Christi
mas, and hope that your next years
may be better personally and for the
State.
The fifth annual convention of the
Arkansas Good Roads Association is
now near at hand, and we take this
means of asking your immediate as
sistance. We meet in Little Rock
the last three days of January, 1907
29th, Goth, and 31st. Let us make it
II l01
in the State. Our purpose is to have
from 5000 to 5000 delegates and Wis
itors. Will you not aid us in forming
this tremendous delegation.
Get the numbers, but look well to
quality. This must be a representa-
tive body in every way, and will be.
All county judges, road commission
ers, overseers, mayors, secretaries and
presidents of all the aforementioned
organizations are eX-offcio delegates
to this convention. No credentials
needed Let county judges select ten
delegates, mayors five, with one ad'
ditional for every thousand of popula'
ton. Let each local farmers union
and labor union send delegate. Let
boards of trade send one, and aid us
in seeing that their respective cities
and counties are represented. Let the
Arkansaw Travellers send one dele,
gate for each congressional distric
and ten for State at large.
Let each member of the Executive
Committee select ten delegates. Let
civic improvement associations and
other organizations looking to the de
velopment Of the State, send dele
gates, one EACH
Having secured the endorsement
of the Farmers Union, $4,000 mem
bers in the State and the various or
ders representing labor and business
development we propose to present
the claims of more than 100000 voters
to the incoming legislature.
"The enclosed petition-memorial to
legislature. Find a good man who
will work two hours and fill one
Just so names. Write name of county
and fold then mail as post card. We
want $4,000 signatures to this petition.
Ninety-nine men in every hundred en-
dorse this memorial Notice the one
signed up in other part of this paper.
Gentlemen, judges, mayors, secre-
taries, etc, write me at once. Write
me freely. Let us make one long,
strong pull together and put Arkansas
to the front. Nothing will do it as
will a good system of good ROADS.
Yours for big convention, Merry
Christmas and a Prosperous New
Year,
u. S. HAWKINS, Secretary"
Legislative Memorial.
The memorial to be presented to the
legislature is as follows.
I'VE the joint committee taken
from the Farmers Educational and
Cooperative Union and the Arkansas
Good Roads Association, recommend
an agreement upon the following ap'
peal to the Legislature of 1907, con-
tending for three things;
"First-A law requiring convict Ia
Dor to be put on the public roads,
thus placing same out of competition
with free labor as well as aiding in
road construction.
"Second-A law securing State aid
In such way as to equally distribute
the burden of taxation necessary Tor
the construction of public highways,
putting this burden upon the railroads
and other corporations as well as up
on real estate and other property. This
we would have done in such a way as
to construct and maintain good public
highways at public expense to the
entire release of free labor as now
so unjustly imposed upon the laborers:
"Third-For the immediate RELIEF
especially to river and bottom coun-
ties, we ask such amendment to the
constitution of the State as Will per-
NIT any such counties as may so de-
sire, indicated by majority OF votes
cast in separate special election IN
such county or counties, to issue cer-
tificates Of credit. as is now done by
Improvement districts in cities for the
construction and maintenance of good
roads. And furthermore to allow any
and all counties Of the State to ac-
cept any appropriations made by
county, state or nation, for road pur-
poses as suggested by bills now pend
ing in Congress, or such others as
may from time to time be introduced"
Endorsed by Farmers Union, Ar
kansas State Federation of Labor,