The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25


while there are number of interest
| ing addresses scheduled.
| Charles II. Claudy of the National
Highways association read a paper for
Charles H. Davis, president of the asso-
citation who was unable to be present.
, The purpose of the association was out
lined, the possibility of securing federal
aid for good roads discussed, and diff
ferent phases of the problem treated.
Potter Advocates Federal Aid
Mr. Claudy was followed by Dell NJ Pot
| ter of Arizona, president of the Southern
National Highway association. He ex-
| pained the purpose of his association,
| which was to bind the states in the south
and the southwest together more firmly.
Mr. Potter then took up the feature
of federal aid for good roads. He said
| that the only way to secure federal aid
was for the boosters to secure enough
adherents among the constituents of con-
| gresSmen and that then they would be in
| q position to demand instead of beg fed
eral aid for good roads. He ADVOCATED
a plan of federal aid by which the state
would ray one-half the expense of build
ing the highway and the federal govern
ment the other half.
Better roads in the south would mean
untold benefits, he said, because it would
attract capitalists TO undeveloped prop
erty. 1t would attract the automobile
owner, he said, man whom the rail-
roads would not get
He said that 75,000 farmers were lost to
America annually on account of the bad
roads. He declared that they could not
market their products and make expenses
The farmers he said were the backbone
of the nation and when they quit farm
ing the nation would cease to exist.
After the address Of Mr.. Potter the con-
vention adjourned until o'clock
The night session was brief on account
of the early adjournment for the potlatch
parade. Joe M. Long of Des Moines, Ia.
editor of the Road Maker. read a paper
on The Partnership Principal He spoke
in part as follows:
1.-THE initiative in road matters must
be local. The men who are to pay the
greater portion of the expense and re-
ceive the primary benefits should be the
ones to put in motion the plans for i'm
provement OF the highways in their. COM
munity.
1.-The construction of great system of
national highways is beautiful thing to
contemplate and a luxury that we might
well afford and I am sure that money
spent in this work would be very much
better spent than is great portion of
our public funds today. Yet, everyone
must admit that such roads would be
primarily a luxury and designed for the
benefit of the Weather people who could
afford to travel over them for the plea
sure of the trip.
IT believe that the first work done by
the government should be to assist in
bringing about the construction of sys-
tenn of market roads for the convenience
of the producer and thus aid in bringing
about a more Intensive cultivation of the
soil which is the only method whereby
we can ever hope to increase the rural
population. The state should pay such
a percentage of the cost of construction
of roads as will induce the various coun-
ties to seek state aid and to willingly
enter into partnership with them, con-
structing the roads according to the STAN
dards and plans of the state highway
commission and under their direction"
Following Mr.. Longs paper, came the
explanation of Mr.. Keller followed by
the charges of Mr.. Kerr about playing
politics.
With the explanation of the pro-
gramme today the meeting then ad-
journed with the appointment of a
committee on resolutions. The commit
tee is as follows:
Alabama, John W. ONeill. Arkansas
Dell M. Potter: Arkansas. c. M. Phil
pot; Alaska, Mrs S. r. Bernardo; Cali
fornia. s. e. deRaclSin; Illinois. Mr.
Craig; iowa. Joe L. Long; Kansas, G. c.
Giynn; Kentucky. r. g. Rainey; Louis
lana, T. s. Jones; Mississippi, NJ T..
Kerr Missouri. ID. w. Shackleford; !;
New Mexico. s. M. Johnston Ohio, W.
S. shannon; Pennsylvania, L. r. Fergu-
son; South Carolina. e. j. Watson,
South Dakota. S. II. Lea Tennessee
c.. J. Taylor; Texas, c. T. Estraby, and
District of Columbia, c. N. Claudy Ow-
ing to the fact that number of state
delegations were unable to caucus on
committee members there were several
states whose committeeman will be
named later.