The Green Forest tribune., 1907-01-04
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT
AND PETITIONS TO BE PRESENTED TO THE LEGiSLA- TURF ASKING FOR LAWS TO ENABLE COUNTIES TO
 BUILD AND IMPROVE
 ITS ROADS.

.. D. 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 inn prove it's highways
 MT. Hawkins has addressed the fol- lowing open letter to county judges and mayors, secretaries of Boards of, Trade. Business Mems Leagues, Far mers' Unions, labps~ 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, I 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 word of cheer, a happy Christ mas, and a 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- 18th, 30th, and 31st. Let us make it the largest convention ever assembled 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 CTS, overseers, mayors, secretaries and presidents of all the aforementioned organizations are ex-officio delegates to this convention. No credentials needed Let county judges select ten delegates, mayors five, with one ad ditional for every thousand of popula. tion. Let each local farmers union and labor union send a 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 district 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, S3,000 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 50 names. Write name of county and fold, then mail as post card. We want 50,000 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 good system of good roads. Yours for big convention, a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year.
 U. s. HAWKINS. Secretary"
 Legislative Memorial.
 The memorial to be presented to the legislature is as follows.
 We 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:
 "F'irst-A law requiring convict la 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 for a the construction of public highways, ! putting this burden upon the railroad and other corporations as well e on real estate and other prone we would have done in g
 to construct and maintain
 highways at public expe entire release of free labor 50 unjustly imposed upon thel
 'Third-For the immediate especially to river and ,bottop ties. we ask such amendmeNt constitution of the State as M hit any such counties as may sire, indicated by a majority cast in a separate special cleo such county or counties, to iss tificates of credit, as is now dor improvement districts in cities fol construction and maintenance of roads. And furthermore to allow and all counties of the State to Il cept any appropriations made county, state or nation, for road pi poses as suggested by bills now pent ing in Congress, or such others as may from time to time be introduced
 Endorsed by Farmers Union, Ar kansas State Federation of Labor. Boards of Trade and Business Mems Leagues, and by hundreds of voters personally.
 Notes.
 "Gentlemen. you will please pardon us for insisting that you act at once the very day you get this letter. in paper, and see to it that your county. your town, your organization is rep resented strongly.
 "The program for the convention is not quite ready feN publication The first cay will be Merchants an Plantersf sDay;' second 1si .IeaislatiO8