The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-26
BOURNE WORKING
 FOR GOOD ROADS Is Author of Zone Parcels
 Post System WILL TAKE TWO YEARS Oregon Senator, Chairman of Com mission, States That Federal im- provemcnt of Roads Is
 Important Problem
WILL TAKE TWO YEARS
H. C F. sTEMART

Washington. December 25.-(Speeiah)- )- Senator Jonathan Bourne of Oregon, who is chairman of the Senate postofflee committee. which perfected the parcels most bill last summer, the senator helhG the author of the Bourne plan of zones which was finally adopted, has been elected chairman of a commission which gives much promise of perfecting scheme for the federal government to aid in the building of good roads.
 Senator Bourne considers the new pro- feet one of the most important ques- tions before the country, and much inore complicated that was the knotty parcels post problem.
 "Considering the number of persons 10 be affected said the senator, and the millions and even billions Of dollars that will probably be spent in the future by the federal government for this great in- fernal improvement I consider the task of perfecting a practical workable scheme of co-operation between the federal and state governments one of the most lm- porfant that could be undertaken at this time
 Will Take Two Years
 Mr. Bourne indicated that if within two years such a scheme could be evolved from the mass of suggestions and ma 1erial the commission expects to sather' he would consider it fortunate for the country. MT Bourne's term in the Sen ate expires on March next and it may safely be assumed that he would like to make a good roads law the final act ol his public career. His work in connection with the parcels post act is widely ap- proved by his colleagues.
 Already Senator Bourne has gathered information good roads from eaeh state in the union but four, and has se- cured from each state executive his idea as to cooperation with the federal gov ernment in building roads Through the state department he has asked for good roads information and experience rom Zo foreign countries.
 The commission on good roads consists of Senator Bourne, chairman; Penrose, Gronna, Swanson and Overman; and Rep yesentatives D. W. Shackleford of Mis- souri, vice chairman; Gordon Lee or Georgia, D. J. McGillicudy of Maine, M. B. Madden of Illinois and N. w. Ausuh of Tennessee.
 This commission was appointed as result of the rejection by the senate Of the House amendment to the postottlee appropriation bill last year, under which the government would pay rental for the use of the public roads.
 Is Fine Question
 Good roads has been a question vigor- ously agitated for the past several years It seems to be d favorite hobby of some politicians, and yet little has been ae- complished in the country as whole Some states have made rapid advance ment in the improvement of their high ways but they are the exception.
 In the south particularly little has been done. Somehow the people, and especially the country people, have not been brought round to realization or the great importance of good roads, and 5n many counties in Alabama and Geor- gia, when the question of issuing county bonds for road improvement, came up it was voted down by the rural communi- ties. in spite of the fact that undoubtedly 4hey would be the largest beneficiaries of good roads,
 But the south does not stand alone m this apparent rural prejudice against bond issues for the building of good roads, the proposition has been voted down in several northern states, and states of the middle west.
 It is d proposition that the people must be educated up to. In the minds Of some country people the good roads agi- fation is chiefly brought about by the owners of automobiles and Is for their express benefit, and they decline to vote a tax on the people for the benefit of the