The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-26
coon ROADS CHAIRMAN

GOOD ROADS CHAIRMAN Comes Back at the Governor in Caus- tic Criticism.
 Birmingham Ledger.
 The people of Alabama are tired of the miserable public roads of this State" said State Senator John W. Overton. campaign manager of the fight which is to be waged for the adoption of the Overton Good Roads amend ment to the Constitution. T don't be- iieve that any man in this State. whether he be the Governor or some other high official, can retard the n1ove- ment for progress and good roads"
 Mir. Overton submits some ratker spirited criticism of Governor Corners
 recent published statement opposing the adoption of the constitutional amendment. which provides that the State Legislature may appropriate money to the improvement of the pub lie highways. The friends of the Gov
 ernor vainly endeavored to have the Alabama Educational Association, in
 It's annual convention last week, adopt
 resolutions opposing the Overton
 amendment. The administration. how ever, scored a failure for the Associ-
 ation promptly tabled the resolution. Senator overton asked the question:
 'why is it that Governor Conner sign-
 ed the bill providing for the amend
 ment and now is opposing it?" At the time the bill was passed pro-
 viding for a vote on the good roads
 amendment" said Senator Overton,
 "the Governor did not oppose 1t. There were only seven votes in the Legis-
 Iature recorded against the passage of the bill. Surely the Governor by his personal effort, had he been opposed to its passage could have obtained more | negative votes than these.
 "when the bill reached the Governor
 he did not raise any objections to any part of 1t, but approved the measure promptly.
 s5o0,0oo for schools.
 The last Legislature appropriated | over $500,000 to erect school buildings
 which will not have been paid until ten or fifteen years. No one wants to
 take any moneys away from the l schools. I gladly voted for every bill which came up, providing for appro. | priations to the common schools of l the State. Surely our income will be
 greatly increased during the next two years. By an economical adninistra- ton of the business affairs of the State ad I believe this will be given, there will be a surplus in the Treasury by the time the present State adminis- | tration retires.
 "Personally, have always stood with Governor Conner in his struggles l for reform. Tn the past I believe that l he has represented the majority of the people of the State. From a deep and | close study of the situation I do not believe shat the people of Alabama | will stand by him in his opposition to good roads.
 Alabama Far Behind. Tt is generally admitted that Ala | bama is behind every other State in the Union in the good roads move-
 ment The last Legislature voted large | sums of money to build a high school
 in every State. What good will these
 schools do the people in the rural dis
 tricts unless we provide decent public
 roads for children to ride to and from | the schools7 It is an unchallenged
 fact that there are many roads in the | State which simply can not be trav-
 eled all of the year around.
 "The several counties In the State | will, within the next few months, start
 a cAripaign for the issuance of bonds
 to build public highways. It is of par amount importance that the State es-
 tablish a department which will as-
 sist in the building of a uniform sys- | tenn of good roads. The amendment to
 be voted for in November simply con- fers upon the Legislature and the Gov
 ernor the power to appropriate money
 to assist in building roads. The first step. of course. will be the creation of a highways commission. I believe | that the time is not far distant when | the Federal Government will take a hand in the building of public high | ways. The idea that the State cannot assist in building it's public roads is simply preposterous.
 Senator Overton states that he will probably call a meeting of his good roads campaign committee to meet in Montgomery in June to inaugurate nIanr fnr fhA cnminR camnaiRn.