Arizona republican., 1909-02-28

| cursionists, and the incidents of the day had been so delightful that it was with no difficulty that spech- making program was arranged, under the chairmanship of Dwight B. Heard. As soon as the addresses were over, the entire caravan was started back to Phoenix. Dr. H. H. Stones machine was among the first to leave, and won the distinction of a new record be- tween Granite Reef and Phoenix. His particular guests were Messrs. Nor ton, Farrell and Fraser, and, with Her man McFall for chauffeur, they drifted out on the desert and hammered the ] highway for one hour and three min utes, which brought them to the front door of The Republican office-and | that's going some for a big machine with five men in it. The rest of the party came piling along at fine speed, and it was stated last night that as far as heard from every machine had made the trip back to town in one hour and fifteen minutes, or less. The distance is about twenty-five miles.
 Reverting to the oratory, no speak ing program had been contemplated, but the occasion seemed to demand it, and MT. Heard, calling the assembly to order, announced that speeches of from three to five minutes would be indulged in for a while, and he sug- gested that they be pertinent to the subjects that seemed on the occasion to be timely. and in both of which the people of this valley are now very much interested. In one of them, at least, the whole territory should be interested. He referred to the subject of good roads and to the bill before the legislature providing for a horti- cultural commission, strongly urged by the people of this county The chairman called first on G. w. p Hunt, president of the territorial coun- cil
 Mir Hunt devoted himself chiefly to good roads. claiming they were a fun damental principle of democracy. and he believed the party would do all it could to create them. Then he van dered back to the ancient roads that made Rome the capital of the world as much as anything else. crossed the channel to Albion where, 300 years ago, the English began road building in earnest, constructing great hign- ways from London to Liverpool and Edinburgh Even the Incas of Peru. re said, appreciated the value of good roads and built them, even though they were but for foot travel In this country, he believed, they were more necessary than almost anything else.
 to bring the> cities and towns into closer communication
 Judge Kent was next called upon to speak on the subject of good roads from the standpoint of the judiciary He said that while this excursion ar ranged for by the real estate board and citizens might seem to be in furtherance of personal interests, it was nevertheless altruistic and un- selfish. Good roads he said are good for automobiles, they are good for farmers, for in this valley the farm CTS will all have automobiles pretty soon. They are good even for legis- lators, for in this country even law makers may hope to have automobiles some time. Becoming more serious he assumed the question of the de-
 
 settled and said he would like to leave one thought with his audience and that was how to spend the mon- ey to the best advantage, for money even now is being spent quite freely for roads, but often not too wisely This is due, he believed, in large part to the fact that road overseers are usually entangled with partisan politics. It might be difficult to abolish the system, but it should be done as soon as something better could be devised, and constructive legislation is needed in that direction.
 s. F. Webb,' speaker of the legisla- tive assembly followed. He said Maricopa county is vitally interested in good roads, not alone the farm CTS, but the mining and the cattle interests and in fact all interests. He people that the legislature would do everything itNcould to better the road conditions.
 George Purdy Bullard, who follow ed. began by saying that he felt sure that Messrs. Pace and Merrill, who rode in his machine, would use their best efforts for good roads, as they had suggested many needed improve ments during their trip out while hanging breathlessly to the back of the front seat. His subsequent re-