Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-06-27
Plan Good Roads Congress.

President Taft has consented to serve
as the honorary president of the Ameri-
can Road Congress, which is to be the
combination of the big conventions Of
the American Association for Highway
Improvement, the American Automobile
Association, the National Association OF
Road Material and Machinery Manu-
features and all their affiliated organi-
cations. The congress is to be held next
fall, either in September or October,
the exact time and place not yet having
been determined.
The president has agreed to act as
honorary president because the con-
gress is designed to crystalize the road
movement in the United States. All
the associations which are to participate
in the congress have previously been
holding individual conventions. All
have been working whole heartedly
but in different ways, for the improve
ment of the roads Of the United States.
The congress will bring all factions to-
gether. 1t will line up the farmers with
the automobilists; the state road auth
critics with the federal authorities; the
manufacturers with the engineers; the
scientists with the laymen.
Every interest working for a better
system of public roads in the United
States will be represented at the Amer
lean Road congress, which is expected
to be one of the biggest conventions,
outside those of a political nature, ever
held in this country. With the Ameri-
can Association for Highway Improve
ment alone, nearly one hundred state,
county and municipal road improvement
associations are allied. With the Ameri-
can Automobile Association, hundreds
of automobile organizations are atfiliat-
ed. All these will be represented at the
congress. The American Automobile
Association will arrange for automo.
bile tours to the convention city and
will play an important part in the con-
vention. Certain days of the week will
be set aside for the special program of
the A. A. A. and the automobiles who
will be present will be thoroughly in
best adapted to their uses.
The United States office of public
roads has arranged to present com.
plete exhibit Of all it's electric models
showing road machinery at work, and
models showing the various types OF
road. There will be stereopticon views
and lectures by experts. President
Taft, as honorary president of the con-
gress, will make an address. The other
speakers will include some of the lead
| ing government officials, diplomats, en-
gneers, and railroad and automobile
men. The convention will last a wee,
and there will be program for the en-
tertainment of the distinguished guests
The great economic principle at the
basis of the educational work of the
American Road Congress is that money
invested in the public roads makes an
nual returns almost as great as the
money originally expended. The Off
cials Of the congress have prepared
figures showing that the improvement,
of the main highways Of the country
constituting about 20 per cent of al
public roads, would result in an annua
saving of at least $250,000,000 in the
cost of hauling alone. 1t is estimated
that the amount saved annually in haul
ing alone would be sufficient to improve
1000 miles of road at an average OF
$4,000 per mile. In FIVE years, this would
improve 100000 miles of road which
would be sufficient to bring the tota
mileage of improved highways up to thu
required 90 per cent. The increase il
land values is another important facto
that will be dwelt upon at the congress