The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-06-26
HON. II. w. LONG ADDRESSES
GOOD ROADS ASSOCIATION

Ss Q 6Tlet History
Of the Association and Its Purnoss.
The following address was deliva,-
ed by President H. W. Long ar the an.
nual meeting of the Good Roads Co.
vention held in Ocala Tuesday.
To the County Commissioner -
Good Roads Association Of FIo~;da.
Gentlemen-AnOther year of go
responsibilities, disappointments and
successes Of the people Of FIori5a
has passed, and goes into history as .
part of its failures and achievements
In retrospecting the past wear wa
find much 10 be thankful for. Tbro,,c-b
out the borders Of our fair state
through the efficiency of our s+sto
board of health, and its health Officer
epidemics have been kept from our
borders, and while fearful cvcIonos
and floods, carrying death and de-
structiOn, amounting TO millions of
dollars in sister states. this calamity
has as a whole touched US lightly
Pensacola and the western portion of
west Florida being an exception
The dilapidated condition of orr
railroads and a lack of suitable cars
TO move our immense freights has
been remedied. and the transporta-
ton of our commerce has assumed its
normal condition.
The effects of the monetary strip-
gency in the great monetary centers of
the country retarded to some extent
the business vOcaUiOns of all our peo-
pie by causing a reduction in the pric-
es Of all commodities. which as a
whole failed TO produce panics. or ma
terially lessen the general prosperity
of our state. The long protracted
drOuth in many portions of the Denfn-
sular of Florida very much lessened
the yield of many Of the products in
the localities affected. but OWING TO
the diversified resources of those To-
calities the men of enterprise. push
and pluck viii come out with a bal
ance TO their credit to keep the wolf
from the door until those drawbacks
can be overcome.
The heated contests preceding the
first primary election. and the white
heated contest waged more iercelv
preceding the second primary election.
caused in some instances bitter feel
ings. not only among the contestants.
but friends and neishbors caught the
congestion. and in their zeal created
heart burnings and alterations. which
time, the great mOuiher of ali human
differences, will restore 10 their nor
nal state.
Among all classes of the people OF
our state, taken as q whole. prosper
ity abOunds, and we have reasons to
devOUtly thank an all wise providence
for this gOOdly land Of vast and diver
sifed resources occupied by Us. In
view of these great blessings We
should with renewed zeal and COur-
age concentrate our minds and our
efforts in the great work that We as
=. an organization have assumed.
A brief review of the history Of our
association may not be amiss at this
time. Through the efforts Of that
- broad-minded and progressive citizen.
Hon. H. H Dickson of Orange county,
and a few others, representatives
from the county commissioners of Ma
riOn, VOlusia. Brevard, Lake, Polk,
Lee, HillsbOrO, DuvaL Leon, Escambia
and Orange counties assembled in the
city of Orlando, March %. 1900. A
temporary organization was effected
by electing II. ". Long chairman, and
POrcher L'ngle secretary. An eXecu-
tive committee. consisting of the
chairman of the board Of county COM
missiOners of the above named coun-
tics, with H. W. Long of Marion as
chairman of the committee, was ap-
pointed, which was authorized TO pro
mUlgate a call for a state convention
OF the county commissioners OF the
several counties of the state TO meet
at such time and place as said com
mittee may determine. for organizing
a state association under such name
y and for such purposes as they may de-
termine. Under authority vested IN
said committee a call was duly made
for a state convention of the several
boards Of county commissioners OF the
state to meet in Jacksonville, Flor
ida. February. 1890. to effect a perma-
nent organization. In response 10
which a gOOdly number Of counties
was represented. and a permanent or
ganization was effected by the cleo
ton Of H. ". Long president; h. n
Dickson, vice president, and ). W
White, secretary and treasurer, TO De
l known as the County Commissioners
Association OF Florida. The conYeh'