The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-16
Good Roads Convention Most
Successful of Kind Ever
Held In the South
SPEAKERS ARE FERViD IN
PROMISES OF RESULTS
Resolutions lndorse State Aid for Sys-
tenn of Great Highways Con-
Meeting Chief Cities
of the State.

| terday afternoon and went into history
as the greatest demonstration for good
roads the south has ever known. Over
600 delegates from the road builders and
best citizens of every county in the
state registered as delegates.
| The last day was marked by the re-
election of John Craft as president, the
passage of stirring resolutions calling for
federal aid, for the creation of a state
highway commission, and the organiza-
ton of good roads associations in every
county in the state, and others urging
the county authorities to connect Mo-
! bile, Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma,
Admission and Decatur with modern pixies,
requesting the state geological survey
and the county and municipal author
| tiles to cooperate in the collection and
| circulation of expert information about
| road construction in Alabama, asking the
| probate judges of each county to sub
| scribe $40 each to be used in publish
ing the best speeches made at the con-
| vention to be distributed in the cam
paign.
| Speeches were made by Arthur c.
Jackson of Chicago, president of the
| National Good Roads association; D. IL
| Winslow, government expert; Judge Will
| liam E. Skeggs of Morgan county, and
reports from the leading counties in the
! state illustrated the great advance being
made throughout Alabama.
! significant feature was the state
! ment by Mr.. Winslow who is considered
| thority that he could build roads cheap
| err with convict labor.
Text of Resolutions.
| The report of the committee on reso-
lutions by Chairman Oscar w. Under
wood, was the first order of business.
| These resolutions, which voice the de-
mand and spirit of the convention, were
unanimously adopted:
Whereas, The official report of the
| department of agriculture shows that 1t
| costs u cents per ton per mile to haul
| cotton crop of the south from the farm
| to the railroad station over the aver
| age roads in the southern states, and
| the same authority states that farm pro-
| ducts can be carried over good macadam
roads at cents per ton per mile and
| the saving to the cotton belt would
| transportation of the cotton crop alone,
| Whereas, The old system of building
! and repairing roads in this state has
| failed to accomplish the result we de-
| sire and has been wasteful of the money
| and labor employed;
Whereas, The experience of other
| countries and other states has shown
| that state or national aid is necessary
| to develop a system of good roads In
| any country and that the money so
| expended is returned a hundred fold
to the people, be 1t
"Nesolved, That we favor national aid
| to the building of system of good roads
| under state and local control and super
| vision and we call on our representatives
| in the Congress of the United States to
! lend their earnest aid to the accom-
| plishment of the desired result.
Resolved, That we favor the creation
| by law of a department of state high
WAYS with a thoroughly qualified road
engineer as commissioner of highways
in charge of said department and petit
ton and urge the legislature of Ala
bama to create said department OF state
highways and to enact laws authorizing
| state aid to the counties for the con-
struction of such highways.
'Resolved. That we favor the organ
ization of a good roads association in
each county of the state of Alabama
and request the delegates to this conven-
tion to organize their respective coun-
ties and report the local organization
to this association"
Committee on Nominations.
A committee on nomination was appoint
ed. T. Fain, chairman; W. L. Hender-
son. ]. H. Cook H. l.. Martin, George
Hollingsworth, Judge J. c. Brown, w.
~ lnhn
O'Neill.
W. T. Brown introduced resolution
calling for the appointment of COM
mittee consisting of member from each
district to make a report of the best ma
teral and construction so that uniform
methods might be adopted at the next
meeting of the association. The expense
of the committee is to be supplied by
popular subscription. Upon suggestion
OF Senator Bankhead the resolution was
referred to the committee on resolutions
Winslow Speaks.
u. TT winslow, United States road ex-
merit. was introduced, and In beginning
said:
ct have the distinct and unique honor OF
representing a government which mas the
poorest system Of roads In the world.
He then quoted figures showing that only
| X
states are improved, and that during the
last Ave years only l per cent have
been improved.
Mr. Winslow made the statement that in
the recent year he has examined road
conditions In Alabama and he has yet to
find a clay pipe drainage laid properly
anvwhere outside of the cities; following
This with a description of proper drain
age. foundation and grade, material and
line He answered many questions on
methods. described the King log drag and
said that Pike county has recently built
100 miles of improved roads for $220 900, a
record which he thought one of the best
In the history of bodybuilding. He also
COMMUNICATED Montgomery county on Its
GOOD roads and the fine system of ac-
counting used. which enables the taxpayer
tn see lust what he is spending for every
square yard of road.
Mr.. Winslow, who, perhaps. has seen
more road work and made study of
labor problems, stated that he had been
handicapped by the use Of free labor in
some counties of Alabama, and would
have rotten better results with convict
labor.
National President Speaks.
Arthur c. jackson. president of the
National Good Roads association, made
an impressive talk on the Importance of
national aid. He assured the convention
that whom the voters demand 1t they will
get It, and insisted that national highways
out Of Washington are already being