Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-15
HEAR TALKS ON GOOD ROADS
County Commissioners and Clerks
Hear the Good Roads Gospel.
ILLUSTRATED BY SLIDES
Experts Tell what May He Done q
Make the Roads Of the Country
Better and How IL May
Ne Done.

Convention delegates rarely stay through
a long afternoons proceedings following at
tendance At the morning session. but the
county commissioners and clerks proved
an exception to this rule yesterday after
noon at the Rome The visitors stayed
until A. N. Johnson, state highway engi-
neer Of Illinois, had said his last word
on the care Of earth roads, and had shown
his last stereopucon view.
Mr.. johnson followed several other
speakers who had taken part in several
discussions, and the way every man re-
manned to hear him was tribute both to
his ability as a lecturer and the interest
Of the commissioners in his subject.
The afternoon began with an address
by e. c. Copeland, former president Of
the Iowa Supervisors association. He
talked upon Benefits OF State Commits
sioners' Associations" This was followed
by a debate on whether real estate should
be assessed annually or biennially, the
chief speakers being, w. r. Mcdonald of
Pierce county, f. r. Elliott OF North
Platte, and H. Fastenot of Nebraska
City. Considerable division Of opinion
was manifested by these and others who
spoke more briefly.
| Next, Peter Campbell gave an address
upon "Culverts and Maintenance" and
then f. r. Elliott was heard again in a
/ talk upon Recording Mr.. Johnson fol-
lowed in the principal address Of the con-
vention, on the subject OF dirt roads.
The Illinoisans address was a vigorous
and rigid exposition of the results
achieved by the use Of the King log and
tother forms OF drags. Mr. johnson talked
also of rnacadam roads and the proper
foundations for them. and everything he
talked about he illustrated by stereopd-
con views.
TELLS Of Proper Foundations.
"see this strip Of rough road" Mr..
/ johnson would say This is before
taking. Now observe what the same road
looks like after dragging Views Illus
trative of his words were continuously
flashed upon the white screen and there
was no man present but what was fim-
pressed.
''The secret is the good foundation and
semi-water proof surface" said Mr.. John
son several times during his address
He took q good-natured fling at theor-
lists who call themselves practical men"
and who nave never done anything but
I talk and assert their practicabllity.' How
do they know you can't do thing until
you have tried 1t? We met many of them
! in Illinois who said a mscadam road
could not be laid on our black earth sur
faces"
The program for this morning includes
an address by Henry Seymour, secretary
OF the State Board of Equalization, who
will discuss Equalization Of Taxes a
talk by w. M. Barbour on western Neb-
braska;" a paper on County Clerks
duties" by Frank Houston of Jefferson
county.
In the afternoon, permanent committees
will be named the next meeting place
chosen and officials elected. The annual
dinner will be held in the evening.
"wednesday Session.
II any Of the visiting county commits
sioners friyoled away Tuesday evening they
had all quit yesterday morning, and the CON
vention hall was crowded TO hear w. @. IRE
talk on County Taxes" and discussion
of relations between Douglas county and
1 the rest Of the state by John Grossman'
representative-eect from this county
Mr. IRE began by saying that county
commissioners have unfortunately too little
TO do With taxes. The assessor makes out
the amounts and the treasurer collects
The county boards do apportion the
funds"
Mr.. IRE declared it matter Of public
misfortune that the county boards must
do this Apportloning and estimating so far
in advance OF the actual collection of the
money.
/ Money estimated and apportioned In lglC
Is not collected until May Of 1911, for in
stance said he, land II estimating and
collecting taxes were closer together, in
time IL would make for much better bust
ness administration. and this difference IL
TIME is what gets many counties into a bad
financial way. No business can be wei
conducted when the outlay Is made before
it is really known what the income is going
10 be.
Contractors, continued the speaker
wait six months for interest 10 begin and
eight months for their money. and knowing
this they figure It into the cost OF buildings
OF bridges. They must do this as a matter
of self protection"
Mr.. Ure suggested easy remedial legfs-
lation, proposing that the collecting of the
money be put farther back into the bust
ness year. lie also urged that county
boards be made more responsible bodies,
saying: IN ninety cases out OF 100 in
creased responsibility makes for greatly
increased efficiency"
The speaker declared that road overseers
ought to be appointed rather than elected
as now and declared that this was one
way In which there is a leakage In the
spending Of county taxes and tax sppor-
tionments.
County Commissioner Furley OF Cedar
offered for adoption by the convention a
resolution which provides for increase in
pay OF commissioners. The convention will
act on this later and other adyices on the
same subject.
TO EXTEND AUDITORIUM STAGE