The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
EVERYTHING READY
 FOR ROADS MEET
Over Four Thousand Dele
 gates Expected
O'NEAL COMES TODAY
The Chief Executive Will Reach the City at S:37 p. m.-Officials Are Gratified With the
 Outlook

Everything is in readiness for the fourth National Good Roads congress, | which convenes here tomorrow, according to a statement made yesterday by Secre- tary J. A. Rountree, who had directed
 the arrangement for the congress. Over
 1000 delegates and visitors are expected
 to he in attendance at the convention rep
 resenting an area of IS states and the
 city is decked out in gay attire and im-
 patient for the arrival of the immense
 crowd of visitors.
 Secretary Rountree received a. telephone
 message yesterday afternoon from Gov.
 Emmet O'Neal to the effect that the chief
 executive of the state would arrive in
 Birmingham tonight at S:37 o'clock instead
 of tomorrow as had been his plan. He will welcome the visitors to the congress
 on behalf of the state, and will perhaps address the convention at following ses- sions. Governor ONeal will be accom-
 penied by Mrs. o'Neal, who has been in-
 vited to attend the congress as chief lady
 of the state. John L. Parker, chairman Of the reception committee, will appoint
 @ special delegation to meet the gov
 erncr and escort him to the hotel
 Logan w. Page, director of the depart
 mont of public roads. will arrive in the city this afternoon at o'clock over the Southern railroad from Washington. Mar tin Dodge, ex-director of the department
 of public roads. wires Secretary Rountree
 that he is en route to Birmingham to att tend the congress. Commissioner of Az riculture E. J. Watson of South Caro- lima notifies the local committee that he will arrive in the city in time to make tho response to the address of welcome | Frank shannon, secretary of the Cham
 Der of Commerce of Nashville, wires Sec retary Rountree that a party of 20 dele
 gates representing that organization will
 arrive in the city tomorrow morning at
 S:25 o'clock. c. c. Gilbert, secretary of
 the Bristol Highway associa-
 tion, advises by telegraph that the dele gates representing that association and those appointed by Governor Hooper will reach Birmingham some time tomorrow
 morning and others tomorrow afternoon.
 He states that Tennessee will send a flat | tering delegation.
 Others Coming
 Prof. Clifford Richardson, the re- | nowned good roads expert, advises Sec retary Rountree that he is en route to the congress and will reach here this
 afternoon from New York. He will
 be accompanied by several other good roads men from that city.
 | S. M. Metallic, state geoiogist of Georgia, will arrive one day sooner than he at first anticipated, and will be in | attendance at the congress two days
 instead of one. Mayor Behrman of
 New Orleans wires Secretary Rountree
 his regrets at being unable to attend
 the congress but asks permission to
 forward the names of four additional
 delegates who will be present.
 Lists of delegates were received yes terday from seven additional mayors in
 Alabama, with the assurance In each
 case that a full representation might be expected. Likewise four additional probate judges, namely, Judge Shrivers of Perry, Judge Moody of Franklin Judge Tankersley of Crenshaw, and
 Judge Lawler of Madison. forwarded
 the lists of delegates appointed to rep | resent their respective counties.
 Churches Interested
 | In several of the churches yesterday the congregations were reminded of the congress and asked to participate in the | movement, inasmuch as good roads are promotive of church and state to a degree that is scarcely equalled by any other phase of general development The ministers will participate in each session of thee ongress and the meet ings will be opened with prayer. q am more than gratified over the outlook for the congress-" said Secre- | tary J. Asa Rountree last night. 'I am sure that we shall have one of the greatest and most important gatherings l ever held here as Is shown by the hum dreds of letters that have come tell | ing of the acceptance of those who have been invited to attend the congress | The enthusiasm of the local citizens has been remarkable and had it not been
 for their help and cooperation the suc- cess of the congress should have been very doubtful; I am highly delighted
 with the prospects for the congress and
 am sure that express the sentiment ts
 of all who have helped in anyway to-
 wards making 1t momentous gather
 ing."