The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-07
PEOPLE FAVOR IT
GOOD ROADS AMENDMENT WILL
 CARRY.
Senator John H. Bankhead Talks Of Good Roads Amendment Which Will Be Voted On In
 November.

United States Senator John H. Bank head, who is in the city for the pur, pose of addressing the Alabama Hurai Mail Carriers Association, which con venes here today, was asked last night what he thought of the prospects of the passage of the good roads amend ment.
 "It will go through without the slightest trouble" he said. fthere are some who will attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the people but tne amendment. for all that VIII pc passed.
 "The overton amendment provides for the State being allowed to assist in the construction of good roads anu soon this will be necessity. ine United States postal department oh severaI occasions has notified post masters in various parts of Alabama to discontinue the rural service unless the roads were improved. In some cases this cannot be done for nnanciai reasons (locally), and the present thought ia for the national govern ment to assist States in building ana maintaining good roads for the postal service. Recognizing the importance of good roads the platforms or potn the Democratic and HepuDilssn attar contain blanks relative to this mater the Democrats laying especial stress on the subject.
 ssThe most important part of nationai help in this matter is the people or tne counties will be encouraged. they Will have more confidence in the matter knowing that moneys put 70 tnat uso will be carefully expended ana, me work intelligently directed. Tn Aa bama alone the rural carriers cover a distanca of 20.000 miles daily reach ing over ,000 persons, and the ser vice must be extended.
 s.eWhen rural delivery was nrst in- auRurated there were but ten routes costing si5,O0O year to maintain. TO day <~ere are 10000 routes on which s35. oO0. 900 are expended annuaiiy. is has been said that this expenditure WI create a deficit in the treasury; Du. the following figures disprove sucn sertious: Tn 1897. the deficit was siS' 0f,, 900. In 1907 the deficit was $S,ooo'- 0,n. This deficit was iessened oy tne growth of the service and the greater it grows to be, the more business VII he done. and as has been shown. IL IS heeominR self supporting, and Tn time will be a source of revenue that VII ba of great benefit. The deparImohe has said that if the roads Were nen ano proved, from s6.OOo,O0v 70 so'sVO'eeS would be saved annually. .....
 .aThe modern rural free delivery ser. vice is nothing more than traveling nostoffice. the people along the route heinz able to buy stamps. resister letters. use the money order system, and ahoye all benefit from the service educationally being able to get sn papers and periodicals. which Le chances are. would not otherwise Issen ss roany' of them. They are also getting rnors mail. would use the mall more. writing more letters and keeping m closer touch generally with. the outside
 "A very erroneous impression many have is that State, appropriation TOT roads would decrease the appropriation for schools and for pensions TOT sol- diers of the Confederate war. Ihe truth of the matter iy that no one con tamn1ates anything of the. kind No I,egiaIature could be elected that would favor such a proposition.
 "Another class of objection Is that the appropriations for roads mi9AS create a debt. want 1t distinctly un- derstood that the amendment pronioits in the dearest possible manner any thought of such a thing.
 'srhere fs no question aocue next Congress working on the plan, .hut as if is a national improvement of paramount interest 1t will move slowly, The treasury will not pc goueed into at the start, or at any time. for the work, like the establish mant of the rural free delivery sys- tenn. will go slowly. but surely. It will take the same course as the postal delivery system, 1t can't start up in a month.
 sNo one questions the constitution ality of the government being able to make appropriations for good roads It has been done steadily year by year since 1906. The government wants the roads, and the fact that the gov ernment has contributed to the build ing of more than half of ths ra'l- ways of the country, has spent millions of dollars on the improvement of riv- CTS and harbors. millions on the irri- gation of the Western arid lands. and has built and is now building good roads in our foreign possessions, shows 1t to be equitable and just that the roads of the home land should be inn proved especially for the government postal service, roads that carry the mail that contributes to the happiness of many, the general comfort of thou sands, the oiling of the machinery of rural business. and roads that will en- nance the value of the land of the farmers"