Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-08-05
Mississippi News
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NOEL TALKS GOOD ROADS.
Present Highways 100 Years BEHIND
thu Time

the Time.
Cleveland.-The good roads conven-
ton was held here Tuesday at IL
o'clock. Hon. Chas. Scott, in a few
well chosen words extended a welcome
to the gathering. estimated at from
$500 TO $500 people. Mr.. Scott also
paid a tribute TO the ladies present,
and referred TO four delta Counties
Bolivar, C~oahoma. Washington and
Suniower-ag possessing lands far
moro fertile than the valley OF the
Nile.
He compared these four counties
with four counties OF Illinois, showing
that the four delta counties had n
gross value Of produce per annum OF
1880 per acre, as against $11.85 per
acre for the Illinois counties. In IN
PRODUCING Governor Noel, Mr.. Scott
paid him attribute, referring TO his
service as district attorney, legislator.
state senator n governor, and, above
all, his faithful performance OF duty
during the Spanish-American War.
Governor Noel hen spoke, dwelling
especially upon the need for good
roads in this county. He said that
while we are progressing IN every
other way, we were at about the same
place as to road building as we were
100 years ago. He dwelt upon the
fact that our state constitution, which
places all the power in the hands OF
the boards of supervisors, should De
changed, and hat the roads should be
worked by the same system as tho
educational interests Of the state.
That the boards should only be direc-
tors of the work as mapped out and
planned by higher officials, paid by
the state. He also stated that time
and power was the question, not the
distance. That good roads shortened
the distance from town for the farm
er and made farm life safer and more
pleasant.
Governor Noel also stated that his
experience as a public official had
impressed upon him the necessity OF
securing good men for public ser
vice, and that men of experience,
knowledge and skill come high. He
urged the people to work in harmony;
he related that the yellow fever evil
Of this country had been stamped
otu by learning the remedy and staed
that the road question would have to
be solved in the same way-by a man
who was able to discover the remedy.
The governor was followed by w.
Simpson Keller, the good roads ex-
pert, whose talk was along the line
of different methods Of road building,
and was enjoyed by the people inter
ested in the good roads movement.
Mr.. BIakeslee, commissioner Of agra
culture, then spoke for about thirty
minutes, and was followed by State
Superintendent ]. N. Powers, who Is
working in hearty cooperation with
the people of the different counties in
the establishing Of agricultural
schools under the new law passed at
the last meeting of the legislature.
Mr.. Powers is not only one OF the
states brightest and most promising
young men, but is a very pleasant
speaker and entertained the crowd for
about one hour. He dwelt upon the
agricultural high school principally,
and pointed out the advantages which
it gave to the poor boy or girl who
was unable to meet the necessary eX-
pense of taking a course in these de-
partments. The Rev. r. A. N. VIII
son., state organizer for the Farmers
Union, was not present, having missed
connections in Memphis.
After the speaking dinner was
served to the large gathering.
c. R. Byrnes, president of the Match
ez Chamber of Commerce and vice
president Of the Mississippi Land De-
velopment Association, organized last
month at Jackson, went to StarkVille
to confer with Prof. Hutchinson on the
subject of demonstration farms and to
gather information as to the methods
employed by the agriculturists at the
Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Mr.. Byrnes has been an advocate OF
demonstration for years and has Of
fered to donate a site for one in AID
ans county, his object being to have
a complete test made of the soil in the
range Of hills running through West
ern Mississippi from the Tennessee
line down to Baton Rouge, La.
Chancellor A. A. K%incannon, Of the
University Of Mississippi, addressed
the citizens Of Oxford and Lafayette
county in response to an invitation by
the mayor and board Of aldermen. He
told Of the great work the university
was doing and what could be occom-
plished in the future along educational
lines.
The Lafayette County Farmers
Union held an enthusiastic meeting at