The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-22
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PATHF|ND|NG CAR
WILL MAKE TOUR
Richmond Men to Travel From
Atlanta in Interest of
Good Roads.
GREAT CONGRESS PLANNED
Leading Men, Including Presi-
dent, Will Speak at
Convention.
GREAT CONGRESS PLANNED

Starting on the morning OF Monday.
October 30, from Atlanta. Ga, a Chal-
mers automobile, containing Freeman
Monroe. NJ. e. designer of the car
which carried the press representatives
! In the Glldden tour OF this year: Lee
Folger. manag ger of the Gordon Motor
! Company; w. Douglas Gordon. repre-
senting The Times Dispatch. and w. T.
Da bncy. business manager of the Rich
mond Chamber Of Commerce, will be
the official pathfinding car of the tour
of the Capital Highway Associa tion
given under the auspices Of the Amer
lean Association for Highway Improve
ment, which is TO have its first con-
/ gress in Richmond November 20-23. in
elusive.
The tour will be under the leader
ship of Leonard Tufts, organizer OF the
Capital Highway Association. and one
OF the leaders in the movement for bet
ter roads In the South. Mr.. Tufts an
nounces that the cars vii leave At
lanta In time to reach the congress by
November 10.
To Stimulate Interest.
The route will be from Atlanta,
through Augusta, Columbia, Camden.
Pipehurst. Raleigh, Emporia. Peters
burg, and so to Richmond. The object
of the tour is to create further interest
in the development OF the country's
roads, for the Capital Highway Asso-
citation will be strongly represented at
the good roads congress here, and will
make urgent pleas for methods to in
duce proper legislation for the improve
ment OF the highways.
+ Logan Waller Page, director of the
United States Office of public roads,
president of the American Association
I Jfrrf,- T,,,n
< p. Light chief field agent of the asso-
citation. are now in the city making
preparations for the great congress.
The association came into being a
year ago, and this is its first conven-
ton. Notwithstanding its brief span
of existence. the association already
numbers several hundred members.
the majority of them being the most
representative men and the highest
dignitaries in the cosrttry.
President Coming.
President Taft will deliver the prin-
'cipal address on the opening day,
which will be known as National
Day Other distinguished men.
among them Governor Mann. Senator
Martin. DR.. Walter Page, editor of
Worlds Work; w. w. Finley, presi-
dent OF the Southern Railway; General
! T. Coleman Du Pont, of Delaware:
Hon. ]. Hampton Moore. president of
the Atlantic Deeper Waterways As
ISOLATION. and Hon. John II. Bankhead,
of Alabama. Will make addresses on
that day.
| The second day of the congress will
be known as Highway, Engineers and
Contractors Day" and will be devot-
ed TO the problems of road construc-
ton and maintenance, The third day
of the congress will be known as
Road Users Day. and will be con-
Quoted under the auspices of the
Touring Climb OF America. Hon. James
5. Harlan. member of the Interstate
| Commerce Commission. and a director
! of the association. Will preside. The
fourth day Will be known as "Asso-
citation Day" and will be devoted to
the work of the American Association
for Highway Improvement, the vari-
Gus animated organizations and the
great national associations indirectly
concerned in the movement for road
Improvement.
Help Cost of Living.
AS the first convention of its kind
ever held in America the Good Roads
Congress is expected to effect a great
amount Of good. It's main object is
| to preach tho doctrine of good roads.
to educate the public to the necessity
for road Improvement and to show
by statistics drawn up by careful
scientists that good roads mean
cheaper hauling rates and, in con-
sequence. a cheaper cost of living.
In contrast to conditions which OBJ
tain in Europe. road maintenance has
| been almost entirely neglected In the
United States with the result that q
| preventable loss OF millions of dollars
| annually is suffered by the peoplc who
| pay the taxes. 1t Is recognized that
| this must be proven TO the public, and
! 1t was for that purpose that the as
ISOLATION was organized by we'll known
patriots of the country.
According TO Mr.. Page, tho United
Estates has about the worst roads or
| any civilized country in the world. on
the other hand. Europe with it's older
civilization, Is threaded with magnifi-
cent highways on which one can travel
for miles without a jolt But the cost
OF hauling over the country roads In
the United States averages 20 cents
per ton to the mile In Europe eigh-
teen years ago the cost had been
reduced to 10 cents. and 1t Is much
lower to- day. Almost anywhere on
the Continent freight can be hauled
for from one-ha1f to one third Its cos,
in the United States.
Loss Is Enormous.
1T is almost Impossible to over
estimate our loss by bad roads" said
Mr.. Page, land by careful and
systematic anagement and proper
organization the saving to the coun-
try would reach the tremendous sum
of s25o,o0o.0o0 year" Mr.. Page went
on to say that the loss from bad
roads prevails all over the country.
but especially in the South.
He said that the Southern roads are
worse than those of any other section
of the country, and the average cost
of road hauling is, therefore, tar
more He showed by figures that more
than S7.00o,0oo would have been saved
last year on the corn haul alone. Ard
yet in the United States not per
cent. of the roads can be called FIRST
class
Chief among the matters to be con
sidered by the meeting here is to form
some plan whereby Congress MAY be
lndllcad a