The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-22
NATIONAL WAR
FOR GOOD ROADS
ON IN EARNEST
American Association for
Highway Development
Formed This Morning.
TAKES IN MANY
STATE SOCIETIES
Long List of Persons of National
Importance Lend Support to
Organized Movement.

Better roads in every section OF the
United States was the slogan adopted
today, when the American Association
for Highway Improvement, its mem
bershiD embracing representative men
who do things. was organized at a
meeting al the Cosmos Club. Railway
officials. civil engineers, automobile
manufacturers, high Government ofd-
cials, and pubHeIsts were among those
who gathered in the common cause Of
good roads and gave the movement
such an impetus as II never has re-
ceived before
The morning session Of the associa-
ton was devoted 20 the details OF ef-
fecting a live working organization.
who influence shall extend north.
east south. and west, and whose aim
is TO cooperate with all agencies now
at work TO improve the public highways
Of this nation.
Many Big Names.
Men ike W W Finley. president OF
the Southern railway; ". c. Brown.
president Of the New York Central
lines; Louis Hfll. president of the Great
Northern: Dr. E J. James. president
Of the University OF Illinois: A G.
Spalding. James s. Harlan. Of the In
terState Commerce Commission, and
James McCrea, president O. the Penn
sylvania system, gave their support to-
day, either in person or by letter or
telegram. 10 the association and its pro-
posed werk.
The constitution. as adopted at the
first meeting today, declares that:
The object Of this association is 20
harmonic and CorTeIats all efforts
for the Improvement OF public roads
TO the end that adequate and efficient
systems of road construction, admin
istTaIiOn. and maintenance may De
adopted in ell OF the States"
The HEADQUARTERS OF the association
viii be IN Washington. Ever state
in the Union, il is proposed snail be
represented upon the committees OF
the organization and e campaign of
general education ana publicity. hay-.
ing for its object the securing OF
legislation that viii work for the bet
terment OF the highways. has been
launched
Officers Are Elected.
The officers Of the association.
named by unanimous vote today. are
Logan Waller Page, director of the
office Of public roads, president. VIII
liam g Brown, president Of the New
York Central, vice president; treas
urer, Lee McClung, who also is
Treasurer Of the United States; sec
retary, J. + Pennybacker, jr.. chief
clerk Of the Bureau Of Road Manage
ment, Department Of Agriculture; na-
tiOnal organizer, ". d. Brown, editor
Of the r F. D. News
There is in addition q board Of di-
rectOrS OF twenty y-nVe members, OF
which Louis Hill is chairman; an eX-
eCutive committee. a ways and means
COlGmittee, and various other commit
tees who viii begin the active WOTk
Of securing improved highways The
several committees VIII report tenta-
tive plans at the meeting Of the as
sociatiOn this afternoon
Legislatures Interested.
Mr. Harlan and Mr.. Pennybacker
were elected temporary chairman and
secretary, respectively, of today's meet
ing. In welcoming the volunteer dele
gates, Director Page called attention TO
the fact that there is at present not
a perfect road law in any State Of the
Union" But five States, he said, would
consider good roads legislation at their
approaching legislative SeSSiOnS-M1chi-
gan, Indiana Missouri, Arkansas, and
Texas The object OF the association
viii be particularly TO harmonic road
laws and TO remove road construction
and Improvement from the influence of
politics
The duties OF The organizer VII! be TO
interest state bodies and civic improve
ll1ctAt S0[tN-it-S II Li4e WI r OF the 4GI EeE
association.
YOakum Heads Committee.
The various committees also will In
terest themselves IN the actual work of
making the association a powerful fac
tor for tie public good. B. F. Yoakum,
president Of the Frisco system. is chair
man Ct the important committee on
ways and means. which Will arrange 10
finance the undertaking. The member
ship viii be composed Of active, associ-
ate, and sustaining members. Officers
are 20 be elected yearly, with the excep-
ton OF the board of directors, who viii
be divided into one, two, and three
year groups. The two most important
committees are:
Executive committee-L. W. PAGE,
chairman; W " Finley, B. T. Yoakun,
Alfred Noble, Lafayette Young.
Committee On ways and meanS-B. r
YOakum, chairman; James s Harlan,
vice chairman; James McCrea, r d.
Chaplin, Joseph W. Jones.
The board Of directors were guests at
an informal luncheon a. the Cosmos
4 ~frr7- n f-1cr he