The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-26
MOTORISTS SHOULD HELP BUILD ROADS Batchelder Speaks at Night
 Session USE HIGHWAYS MOST H. B. Warner, Prof. G. N. Mitcham and Will P. Blair Among the
 Others Who Made
 Speeches
USE HIGHWAYS MOST

Others Who Made
 Speeches
 The night session of the Fourth Ma tional Good Roads Congress proved to be of much interest, notwithstanding the fact that a morning session and an afternoon meeting had previously occasioned a large attendance of the delegates and members of the congress.
 The features of the occasion were the addresses of H. B. Warner of Lexington, N. C., on the subject of the Press and Good Roads," A. G. Batchelder, chair man of the executive committee of the American Automobile association. on the subject of Automobiles and Good Roads;'' Prof G. N. Mitcham of Auburn on the subject of "Education and Good Roads,, and Will P. Blair of the Paving Brick Manufacturers association, who gave an interesting illustrated lecture.
 MT. Warner made a very comprehensive review of all that the newspapers have done towards aiding the good roads move ment. '-rhe south and the country at large have made wonderful progress in the building of good roads during the last decade,' he said, "and believe that more than 90 per cent of it has been brought about by the unselhsh. patriotic work of the editors of the country" Batchelder's Address
 A. c. Batchelder of New York was in- troduced as the next speaker of the even ing. He first secured the attention of the audience within an easy manner and a few remarks by way of leading up to the topic of automobiles which he had been led to believe by speakers of pfeced ing sessions was a very unpopular topic in this section, especially among the farmers.
 The speaker first assured the gathering of good roads advocates that the owners of automobiles more than any others were interested In the movement for bet | ter public highways inasmuch as it is they who utilize the roads most during the greater part of the year. Further he informed them that the American Auto mobile association is trying to effect as working basis the automobile laws of New York, which allow a certain per centage of the registration fee to be used | in the maintenance of roads.
 l The association will demand ultimately that all vehicles used on public roads be taxed for the maintenance of highways, because they claim that it is unjust for automobiles alone to be discrimlnated against when the wear and tear of the road beds is due to antagonistic methods of travel. However, this point is waived for the time being because of the belief that 90 per cent of the persons will be using automobiles within few years.
 Will Be Cheap Soon
 MT. Batchelder stated that automobiles would be sold at comparatively cheap prices before many years, and he stated that the average farmer would become a motorist and have a machine as an adjunct to his farm just as he now has his wagon, his harrow or his blow. The speaker also brought out the in- teresting fact that there Is a tendency to abandon speed laws. In Massa- chusettes the latest regulation against automobile offenders holds them punish able.i not according to speed, but &C., cordng to the extent to which they may happen to endanger the lives and prop erty of other travellers along the same road The speed laws are too easily evaded, and too inexact, he said, so, con- sequently, 1t is thought that the new regulation will prove much more ef- fective.
 In concluding, he said: "The motor driven vehicle has brought with 1t in 1 terstate travel. Its owners must bear l the burden of highway improvement, l because they are the most insistent users of the road. It is duty which l they cannot evade, and they seek no great credit for what they accomplish except among their own kind. They are willing to cooperate with all bodies l interested in the good roads question, and, likewise willing that the credit shall go to the other fellow so long as the highways are secured and main tained."
 Professor Mitcham Talks
 Mir Bachelder's address was followed | by an address from Prof. G. N Mitch am of the department of engineering at Auburn, who made very interesting and instructive talk with reference | mainly to the good roads sjtuatio, in