Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-21
President a Guest Of the
Automobile Club.
Heartily in Favor Of The Best
Roads In the World
But Not In Favor Of Opening Treas
-S ury 10 Vast Expense.

of the Automobile Club of America at
their banquet in the Waldorf Astoria,
tonight, and for half an hour or more
talked To them in such genial vein that
they were kept almost constantly eth
er laughing or applauding. In one of
his serious moments, Mr.. Taft. talk
ing to men whose devotion to motor
ing makes the good roads question of
especial interest to them, took occa-
sion to declare himself emphatiea lily
against drawing upon the national
treasury for building great highways.
The President was introduced by
Henry Sanderson, president of the
club. and was given a rousing recep-
ton, his health being drunk standing
amid cheers. He began jovial1y by
wondering why he had been invited to
the dinner, because he had never be-
longed to the Carriage class" 1t was
only lately that he had been even tenn
porarily affiliated with it, he said
The accident of office and the gen
crosby of Republican Congress re-
marked the President, with broad
smile gives me for a time the pless
ure of travel ny a new method. but
there is no permaneney OF tenure in
the machine. Therefore. I beg you TO
understand that am here merely in
temporary capacity rs an AUTOMOBILE
ist."
The President spoke of the value Of
the automobile as enhancing the
wealth of the country and as an aid
by its rapidity of the development of
friendly relations between section and
section and even between nation and
nation.
Il have tried to help YOU" said
the President to his motoring audi
ence, by getting the duty lowered into
Canada. once in while" he added
4 do something that ought to make
somebody gratitied'
BY making life in the rural districts
pleasanter and more Iveable, Mr. Taft
said, the automobile was helping out
a healthy movement back TO the conn
try.
Raising objections to the proposal thai
the federal government enter extensively
into the road-making business, Mr. Taft
said there was no doubt that the gov.
eminent had the power but he added
II venture TO question the wisdom OF
opening the national treasury for money
" Use lldl HdS. Even auUllltliB iutIt
might be wisdom in building fedora
roads. the difficult problem of who was
to care for them after they were built
was bound to rise.
The state and the neighborhood> acting
as a unite We're the proper sources &c
sleog to for both the building and the
maintenance of proper highways, in his
opinion. Once started on scheme of
nd
ment, he said, there would be no end to
the expenses for what would likely be
demanded by As states, each one of which
would want it's share
CHASING the proposal as a dangerous
experiment" he added:
II would suggest great delay and de-
liberation before we open the national
treasury to such purpose"
From the prolonged applause which
greeted this statement it appeared that
the Presidents audience was with him
in his opinion.
a distinguished party sat with the Pres
ident at the speakers table. including
Count Won Bernstorff, the German am
hassador
With silver trowel handed to him by
blind woman, President Taft laid the
corner stone, today, of the first settle
ment house in the world for the blind.
A crowd of several thousand persons
choked the street TO get glimpse of the
Presidential party.
81 came here, today. to lay corner
stone, not to make an address,, the
President said, after Joseph II. Choat
chairman of ceremonies, had announced
that the President would speak. MY
dearest hope is that this structure will
be typical of the duties which we who
have sight owe to those who have not.
and aid and succor them in their dirhcult
journey through life
At the conclusion of the corner stone
laying the President motored to a we'll
known jewelry store to do a little be-
lated shopping. The articles he purehas-
ed. it is understood, were intended for
members of his immediate family.
The President cited the tendency of
the age toward faster living and
pleasure, and from this he turned to
the necessity of improvement of GRIM
inal procedure.
whatever the machinery is, it does
not have the backing of opinion, he
said so long as we have headlines
that make heroes of murderers, we
are not going to have the improve
ment we need"
Although there were a majority of
gray heads and bald ones in the au-
dience, the President addressed the
men as 'tyoung" and spoke in an OPP
timistic strain.
Il am profound believer in party"
he said. Nothing has come in the
way of real Improvement in the his
tory of our country that cannot be.
placed to party organization. Effective
reform can be made in but two ways
either inside the party or by the
g breaking up of the old party and the
founding of a new one. The question
for every man is: Has the party to
which he has attached the material in
it carry out his idea for reform, or
is il necessary for him to join new
party to gain them? As / LOOK into
your faces l still have hope for the
redemption of the Republican party.
I'VE have curious condition in
Washington which, hope will work
itself out in such a manner that when