The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-16

been practicable. Yet after trial of 7eafly a cen | we know that all Of the labor, time and money which has been expended during that long period under the system that now prevails. has utterly failed to secure for the state system of adequate and improved highways.
 Road Making Study.
 "Road-making by the aid of improved machinery and as result of long experi- ence and careful study, has now become an important branch of government. re- quiring both engineering skill and scien- tific knowledge. A system which entrusts the construction of our public roads to men without any special aptitude or train- ing, and who are frequently unslSilled and ignorant of the first principle on which successful road building depends must necessarily result in dismal and humiliating failure
 ''Only in those counties where improved roads and highways have been built by contract from the funds arising from the issuance of bonds, county revenue or a system of taxation, do we today find a system of improved highways and roads
 A distinguished authority on the sub- ject says that the same conditions whici now exist in Alabama confronted tht people of England during the close of the seventeenth century, and McCauley, speak. ing of it in ,is history of England. art describing the almost impossible high ways of England during that period said:
 Defective Laws.
 'One chief cause of the badness o the roads seems to have been the de fective state of she law Every parisl was bound to repair the highways whicl passed through it. The peasantry were forced to give their gratuitous labol until many toll bars had been yiolentl, torn down. till the troops had in many districts been forced to act agains the people, and that much blood had beer shed, that good system was introduced By slow degrees reason trlumphed ove prejudice, and our island is now crossed Tn every direction by nearly 30O00 mile. Of turnpike roads,
 l Struggle for Laws.
 In concluding his address Colore C'Neal called attention to the struggl In the state to secure laws such a would aid in the read building work With the present result that much is be | ing accomplished of ar excellent nature Until the adoption of the recent amend inert he pointed out. the state was pro l.ibited from constructing one 'nile c pike road or from making one cent o ! appropriations
 Even now he stated, under the op ora;ion of the amendment, h only Ina power to use net proceeds arising fron l the hire of convicts for the construction { and Improvement of inc public roads l Justice to tine farmer. he said, de I nands that ful attention should D paid to the work.
 f Colonel MallOry's Speech.
 Col. II. s. Mallory said in part: | 'The person who is not in favor 0 l good roads is out of harmony with tb times and with the people.
 T have SO frequently and publicl ' spoken in favor of Letter roads and
 better road system in Alabama that it not necessary for me to state my att tule to that duesion. The reads of Ala bd1na are the avenue over which the SC cial and industrial affairs of the stat must he COT ducted.
 '''he road must be used every time on leaves home on q social or business visit every church-goer, every pupil m se1oo ' every pound of produce transported market. must pass aioLg q road. Ove l inc roads of Alabama hundreds Of thou sands of people travel, and vast tor