The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-10-16

attracted the governors and highway
commissioners OF several states. Mod.
el pieces of roads and road machinery
were exhibited and a new interest in
road building was kindled into a burn.
ing fire that will do much good toward
federal and state aid,
Among the states that were repre-
sented by their highway commission.
ers, was Oklahoma Sidney Suggs OF
this city represented this state and
the Fort Smith Times Record pub.
fishes the following address made by
Mr.. Suggs:
Some twelve years ago while sit.
ting as a delegate from the Indian
Territory to the Trans-Mississippi
Commercial congress in session in the
city of Houston, Texas, heard a great
clamor among the brightest men
which the west produced on the ques-
ton of appropriations for rivers and
canals and harbors. That body of
men was looking to the commerce of
the west and they We're looking to
water transportation to solve the prob.
lem. The inspiration came to me then
and | saw the millions that the gov
ernment was spending upon rivers
that could never be made navigable.
saw other millions that were being
spent to build new harbors. ! saw
earnestness written upon the faces
OF these men, but my thought went
back to the man who lives out in the
country, away from navigation, and | 4,
saw towns in stagnation because ar |
teries of commerce in the country dis |
tricts We're clogged with mud and neg
lect. raised my voice in honest
protest, a plea was made for govern
ment aid for the roads of the country
districts and from that time on have
been fighting the road battles as best
knew how. It was new doctrine
back in the old Indian Territory days,
where there was not a public road in
all that beautiful country where there
was scarcely a bridge between Red
River on the south and the Canadian
on the north.
There was but dim distant hope
for the welfare of my own contry but
saw the light and have been travel
ing toward it ever since When con.
sress conferred statehood upon my
| saw the opportunity. Okla
noma was a pioneer in making a con.
'titutional establishment of a high u
way department and | outlined the !
llan. 1t was new. Walls of prejudice J.
were built up against it by the very T.
men who should have supported such v
movement. While the roads ques. II
ion as old as civilization, is still a
lew question. 1t is still an unsolved u
question Men have looked to the d
allway and steamship lines, they have
'vershOt their mark and prosperity U
viii never touch this country until we .
'et back at the cause of the stagna- y
ion and remove it, /"
Road Building Business. IT.
THE cry has been heard. This cry VI
anne from the rural school and the Il
ural church, the cry came from the III
nan whose boy was leaving the "
ountry home for the gay lights and u
rivolities of the city, the Cry arose ~
/ supremacy of power from the moth VI
r whose daughter tired of the som ~
re surroundings of the country home
nd sought work in the city. With all
lis unrest, the people are still look VI
lg for leader to guide them out of III
lis stygian darkness. We are standing '"
Ike so many children waiting to be ~
I'D what to do. Our own southland III
spending fifty millions year up "a
its roads and we can keep up this
lormous expenditure until the last We
ump sounds and still there will be III
n gops Stuol, l., a., , 81, on
, streams to ford, there will be neg
cted farms unless a uniform style "
adopted and work is properly done ~
Road building is a business. Road 'o'
Hiding is a profession of more i'm .i'
'rtance than we realize. Millions go io'
waste in misdirected energy where Oi'
lie rain at night will undo the work 'ia
hundred men the day before A ON
mpetent engineer should lay out a '''i
ad the right of way must be of suf- ea'
lent width to permit of proper con "'
ruction, the matter of drainage must 7i'
cared for and when the foundation III
laid for road, make the proper Tue
Hiding of it religion and work an'
iustriously for the funds as you do u
raise money for new church. co'
lily week ago met with the Ameri. ~
n Road Cap oracs IL, annual a--;o,,