The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-09
TRAIN WILL COME
 ID BIRMINGHAM Southern Railway Has Good
 Roads Special IS NOVEL FEATURE
Will Make Tour of South to Dessem- mate Information on the Importance of Build-
 ing Roads

Washington, April S.-(Special)-One of the most interesting methods for advancing the cause of good roads throughout the south Is to be under taken early in May by the southern Railway company, working in conJunc- ton with the United States office of public roads.
 Starting from some point In the south not yet determined upon. a special road improvement train." consisting of three coaches-one provided with lantern slides, stereopticon and screen, another with exhibits and working models, and third being reserved for the men who are to travel with the train-will tour the south. stopping at all the large cities and most of the small ones.
 The plan for a road improvement train was adopted by the railroad com pany after consultation with officials of the United States office of public roads and the American Association Tor Highway Improvement. President Fin Hey entered into the scheme heartily. He is a member of the executive com mittee of the American Association for Highway Improvement, and the South ern railway company, recognizing the vast economic importance of the move ment for good roads. has been doing all In its power to spread the, idea throughout the south. In every pos sible way the Southern Railway com pany wishes to aid in road improve
 ment that will make for the prosper ity of the south and President Finley made it possible for the United States office of public roads to make arrange ments for spectacular and instructive trip.
 In the coach provided with stereopticon equipment will be views showing all the
 advantages of good roads and disad- vantages of bad ones. There will be shown, for instance, the manner in which doctors are caught in the ruts of bad roads while on their way to patients; dn- dertakers' wagons delayed on the way to the cemeteries; automobilists thrown on the road by a boulder in bad road; and two loads of cotton, one from bad road territory and the other from a good road territory the difference in weight show ing the profits and losses that come from good and bad roads.
 In the second car there will be en-
  finest roads in the world, including the
 well-nigh perfect roads of France. These photographs will illustrate nearly every phase of the good roads movement. For the farmers and experts there will be working models in this car, showing ma terials that make the best roads; the way a soggy clay road can be improved by the mixing of sandi the way mac adam and other hard roads are built, and practical suggestions which will be of benefit in the case of each individual. If the farmer has been at a loss how to i'm
 prove his road he can find out all about it by attending the train exhibit. Ar engagements may even be made so that the persons in each town along the route to be traversed may send in specific ques- tons before the train arrives. they being answered in the lectures that will be given The aid of the Southern Railway company and the government Is to aid each individual case as much as to stifnu late general interest in the good roads movement
 There will be two lecturers from the office of public roads on the road inn provement train, and the Southern Rail- way company will carry it's land and in dustrial representative along. These men will be prepared to lecture, explain and give aid to the thousands of persons who are expected to attand the lectures in each town. The agricultural official of each state will also be asked to ac- company the train while 1t is in his terri- tory. Other officials will be notified from time to time and the county supervisors will probably find the exhibit decidedly instructive. All the associations whose aim 1t is to build, improve and maintain highways will be invited to take part in the meetings
 As stated above President Finley is q member of the executive committee of the American Association for High way improvement. and MT Page, di- rector of the United States office of public roads, Is president of the asso- citation. so that the government, the railroad company, and the association are working whole heartedly toward the same end.
 It is hoped by the packers of the present movement that the road im- provement train will stimulate the in- terest of the south bringing about the enactment of uniform laws and uni- form methods in the handling of the inn provement and maintenance of roads, and give the whole south an opportuni- ty to realize the full economic value of q complete system of improved high ways.
 Aside from its educational interest, the road improvement train will be an attraction to people who are not active ly interested in such movements, draw ing them by reason of the novel exhibit, and probably sending them away with knowledge that after all the good roads problem concerns each individual. no matter in what walk of life.
 While the exact itinerary has not been made out it is planned to have the train moved about in such a man. ner that it will be at Birmingham. where there is to be a convention May 23-26, 1911, and later in Richmond. Va, where another convention is to be held in October. It is certain, there fore. that the road improvement train will be on the move from early in May until the middle of October. Within this period, 1t is expected that the whole of the south will be covered.