The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-21
CAMP PAIGN OPENS
 FOR GOOD ROADS Large Crowd Hears Speakers
 At Mobile JOHN CRAFT PRESIOES Prominent Ministers of Gulf City At- tend-Bankhead, Taylor and Under wood Deliver Strong Addresses.
 MT. Underwood's Speech.

Mobile, August 20.-(Special "A large crowd was present at the Mobile theatre tonight at the good roads meeting, there being addresses by Senator J. H. Bank head and Congressmen George w. Taylor and o. W. Underwood
 Many prominent ministers were present at the meeting, which was presided over by President John Craft of the Alabama Good Roads association.
 This meeting marks the real opening of the state campaign for the Overton constitutional amendment.
 Senator Ban1head made a forceful plea for the public support of the amendment proposition and stressed the importance of better public highways Senator Bank head is one of the most active advocates of good roads in the country and never misses an opportunity to talk in their behalf, both in the national Senate cham Der and before the people.
 Congressman Taylor made a strong speech, and his arguments for road im- provements were well received.
 MT. Underwoods Speech.
 Congressman Underwood spoke as fol- lows:
 In the progress that man has made from barbarity to civilization, one of the great factors which has been most instrumental in his development has been the question of transportation. When man first real ized that he could dispose of the surplus products of his labor by a system of ex- change with his neighbors, markets at once developed for the purpose of ex- change, and the facility with which he effected these exchanges depended, to a large extent, upon the convenience with which he could reach these markets. AS a result, the development of civilization was more rapid along the rivers and the inland seas, where water transportation could most readily be taken advantage of. As it moved back into the inland country, mere trails grew into roads, into high ways and finally into the great boule- wards which are found in many countries today Thus it Is readily seen that the facilities for transportation have always been one of the greatest factors in ad- vancing commerce and civilization.
 Early Development of Road Building.
 Almost all civilized countries have de- veloped systems of good roads, Sixteen centuries ago the Romans constructed the Apian Way, which still exists today, as it is said that many of the fagstones that cover the roadway today were laid when the road was originally built
 Modern Roads.
 In modern times, France, Germany. Italy, Austria, England and Spain have developed their country roads until the highway running through the rural dis tricts Is as level smooth and satisfactory for the carrying of traffic as the city streets America is about the only great civilized country in the world that has not successfully developed a system of roadways.
 Mileage of Good and Bad Roads.
 Counting all of our roads, main roads and cross roads together, 1t is estimated that there are about 215O,000 miles Of roadway in this country, and that pos- sibly only 150,O00 miles are improved by macadam, gravel or other special treat ment. In other words, a little over ' per cent of our total road system has been improved, and yet the reports of the agricultural department show that in making repairs and patching dirt roads, which are sure to be washed out by the winter rains, we are spending In thls country something like $80,0O0,00o year. But this is all being lost and wasted be- cause there is no system and the roads are not being properly built.
 Mileage and Cost of French Roads.
 On the other hand, the French repub- lie, which has the finest system of road ways in the world, has expended S3O3, OOo . GOO on 23 GOO miles of national road. These are great. wide turnpilxes and they handle the main lines of traffic. It has also spent $30S, ,000, 900 in building 316,0O0 miles Of local highway. In other words, combining the cost and the mileage of the local high ways and national roads, France has spent something like $500 mile in deve- opng the greatest public road system the world has ever known
 History of Road Building.
 In the early history of this country the question of building good public roads was a very live issue The government spent s7,00O,0 900 in constructing the old Cumberland road from Maryland through Ohio, Indiana and into Illinois to the Mississippi river The original appropria- ton was made in about the year 1911, and this road is in excellent condition today. because 1t was properly built. At the same time Congress made appropriations for the building of roads from Nashville. Tenn, to Natchez, Miss and from Geor- gia to New Orleans. but about the time that ad-building in America was getting under full headway the invention Of the steam locomotive and the advancement of the railroad system of the country put stop to road building, and 1t has only been within the last few years that the people of our country have again awak- ened to the importance of good roads in America.
 Our business men, politicians and cham bers of commerce and other public bodies are continually agitating the question of improved rivers and harbors and reduced railroad rates, in order that the cost or transportation may be diminished and their business interests encouraged put they seem to have entirely overlooked the fact that the question of transportation over local dirt roads is equally important in the advancement of business and the increase of trade, with shipments by water or by rail.
 Comparison of Cost. To illustrate: The freight rate in the United States by rail. for 1906, was be- tween ' and mills per ton per mile ana the freight rates on wheat In 1906 be- tween New York and Liverpool was only S-10 of mill per ton per mile, whereas the average cost of transportation over the wagon roads of the United States Is 25 cents per ton per mile, as estimated by the agricultural department. In other words we can carry one ton of freight over 800 miles on a steamer plying be- tween New York and Liverpool for the same expenditure that it would cost to oarry one ton over the average dirt roads of this country the distance of one mile. If would be very difficult to reduce the cost of transportation on the steamships, hecause 1t Is near the minimum now, and the reduction of the railroad rate cannot he made to any appreciable extent How ever. the cost of transportation on the dirt road can be reduced more than one-half.
 Coet of AattIlnr