The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-04
ROAD ENTHUSIASTS
CONCERNED IN
CONGRESS
All Interests to Meet in Big
Convention Next
Fall.
WILL
THE
Money Invested in Public
Roads Makes Large
Annual Returns.

Road builders in this state and e
sons enthusiastic over the betterment
of roads in North Dakota are inter.
ested in the American road congress,
which is to be the combination of the
big conventions of the American AS
ISOLATION of Highway Improvement,
the American Automobile association
the National Association of Road Ma.
terial and Machinery manufacturers
and all the affiliated organizations,
which is to be held next fall, either
IN september or October. the exact
tllne and place not yet having been
determined.
President Taft has consented to
serve as the honorary president of the
road congress. because the congress
is designed to crystalline the road
movement in the United States.
This convention will be of particu-
lar interest to this state because OF
the large amount of road improve.
ment that is going on in various sec
tiohs this spring and which will con-
tlnue throughout the summer.
All the associations which are to
participate in the congress have pre-
viously been holding individual con
ventions. All have been working
Wholc-heartedly, but in different ways
for the Improvement of the roads of
the United States. The congress will
bring all factions together. It will
line up the farmers with the automo-
hilists, the state road authorities, with
the federal authorities, the manufac-
turers wit hthe engineers. the scien-
tlsts With the 1aymen.
Represents All interests.
Every interest WORKING ror a het-
ter system of public roads in the Uni
ted States will be represented at the
American road congress-, which is ex-
pected to be M of the biggest con
Nentions outside those of a political
nature ever held in this country.
With the American Association for
Highway Improvement alone nearly
one hundred state. county and mu-
nlrlpal road Improvement associa-
tions are allied. With the American
Automobile association hundreds of
automobile organizations are affiliat-
cd. All these will be represented at
the congress. The American Auto
mobile association will arrange for
automobile tours to the convention
city and will play an important part
in the convention. Certain days of
the week will be set aside for the
special program of the. A. A. A. and
the a~utomobilists who Will be present
WI pc wv oQSIlIS lIl1ol IIlGu as W Tie
various types Of road best adapted to
their uses.
The United States office of public
roads has arranged to present a 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. Presi-
dent Taft as honorary president of
the congress, will make an address.
The other speakers will include some
of n leading government officials,
diplomats, engineers and railroad and
automobile men. The convention will
last a week an dthere will be a pro-
gram for the entertainment of the
distinguished guests.
Money Brings Returns.
n great economic principle at the
basis of the educational work of the
American a congress is that money
invested in the public roads makes
annual returns almost as great as the
money originally expended. The Of
ficials of the ongres ave prepared
figures showing hat the improve
ment of the main highways of the
country. constituting about twenty
per cent of all public roads. would
result in an annual saving of at least
s250,000 900 in the cost of hauling
alone. 1t is estimated that the
amount saved annually in hauling
alone would be sufficient to improve
$4,000 miles of road at an average
cost of $4,000 pc rnlile. In five years
this would improve 100000 miles of
road. which would be sufficient tc
bring the total mileage of improved
highways up to the required twenty
per cent. The increase in land values
is another important factor that will
be dwelt upon at the congress-.