The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-28
Good Roads and What They
 Mean fo Alabana' s People

- wrong-that God giving a rich soil. superb climate. wonderful natural re- sources. abundance of minerals. mag nifcent forests, streams of fresh wa ter and salt and mineral waters, all of which makes our State unequaled for happiness and contentment.
 {. Indeed, Alabama Is the favorite spot,
 The fairest of all serrh's plot"
 We have one of the best States in the Union for manufacturing. stock, poultry and agricultural possibilities which are unlimited. Put your shoul- der to the good roads wheel and help to improve our roads so that your chill dren will not have to leave their homes, but will remain and dweli amidst their childhood surroundings; they will be- come contented and prosperous and win be helping to develop and populate our grand State. No spot on earth can equal Alabama if we will no longer neglect our highways. t
 My friends. I wish to call your at- tention right here to the fact that the County of Washington. in addition to its superb climate, productive soils. it ing. mineral waters that are unecualled anywhere in. the world, and will promise you that if you will build up a system of permanent roadways throughout your county that you will have one of the most profitable invest tnents for the money and labor that you expend for practical. permanent roads. good bridges. than any enter prise you can engage in. You know that one of the principal assets of Switzerland and other portions of Eu- rope, as we'll as portions of the United .Btates. are in having q large lot of tourists, who come. spend their money seeking health. recreation and rest. I say to you that you have all this heres Nature has been boun&iful in its gifts to you If you will build up your roads you win have large fiocks of people from all over the country visiting who are desirable tourists that leave large sums of money; your people will reap this additional benefit. and this can be brought about by building permanent roada You win have new crop of summer and winter tourists coming each year.
 You know what made Rome great It was her magnificent system of roads as they all lead to Rome. and your County could become equally as great if you will build good. roads. The greatest monuments the great Napo- leon left to perpetuate his fame was the magnificent system of roads that he built for France. They are the
 
 ing than any of the many nations or armies he conquered.t but the good roads are his most lasting and grand est achievements.
 My friends, your womanho pod and manhood are superb; you are intelli- gent and you are a grand people; hence, I urge you to give thls great economic and social problem careful consideration and emulate the progres. Siveness of those States and counties that are awaking to the fact that they want to have q good system of school houses. They must first build good -foads. We are largely measured in our civilization by our roads; second, by our school houses.
 The late Hon. Charles Sumner, one of the leaders. once said that good roads and school houses are the most important agents of advancing civili- xatlon and human activity. Some years ago, when a delegate to the National Good Roads Convention, held In New Orleans, La. I heard pr. Alderman. who was then President of Tulane Uni Yersity, but now President of the washington and Lee University of vir- TaAaA Of education, say thatshs wanted every child 4n our Southland to have q common education so .H would be prepared to cope with the battle of life. -a,.f -o
 He said the best way to advance the cause of common education was first to build up good roads. then you would do Away with the one room ill-kept, poorly attended country schools. and when the roads were built up you would have larger schools with bet ter class of teachers and a larger scholarship. Good roads will make It possible for the children to attend school in all kinds of weather; they would not be stuck in the mud.
 To the Ladies';
 Do you know | wish to particularly say q few words to the ladies. They ars interested in this problem, where ever you have good roads you have better. churches, with large congre- gafioh: hence. the religious and so- cial life is improved so that the en- vironmepts and happiness improves when you build good roads. So you see the ladies are a valuable auxiliary in this. crusade for better roads, I want to call the attention of the far mers and their wives, if there are any here. to the fact that you have no idea how much money we are vast ing a year on account of our bad roads, and the unbusinesslike methods that are in vogue in our state. Any sta tute. labor and money spent amounts to about $2.o0o.0Oo a year. You take that for forty years since my majority, and the loss fs above Ss0. .00o. 900. enough money, If the roads had been constructed on business methods, to have macadanized every mile; of roads in the state so that pair of mules would be able to haul ten or twelve bales of cotton. where they are unable at times to haul more than one or two, and when the weather is bad they get stuck in the mud with that.
 Have you farmers any idea of what you are taxed a year on account of bad roads? Let me exemplify to you to move one product. the average crop of 100000 bales of cotton year, so you can get your cotton to the rail- road stations. to the steamboat land ings, and to the markets of the world The average haul of eight miles is 50 cents a bale On account of the bad roads that we have in our state. IT we had good roads the cost would be reduced and would be about -16 cents a bale. That Is an absolute loss of 34 cents on each bale of cotton. Take annually and 1t is s340.00O: take this average for forty years. and 1t would be another absolute loss amounting to SI3.6o0,0o0; add that to your ESQ., 100000.
 I wish to illustrate another example to the farmers and their wives. The average amount of cottonseed that the farmer has to sell is about 800 900 tons the average haul is about ten miles before he can get to the rail- road stations. the steamboat landinRa the cottonseed mills. is 25 cents a ton a mile. If he had good roads it would be ten cents ton mile. This shows