The Detroit times., 1913-10-01
HOBO ATTENDS
CONVENTION TO
Z ASK GOOD ROADS


ried his baggage In q newspaper roll
He appeared at the convention wash
ed and barbered, and were I, NOT ror
his rising-sun button with the motto
OF his order. his distinguished identity
might have passed unnoticed.
Most Of our great men have been
hobces," explained Mr.. Davis. Go
Iumbus was q hobo; 90 were all the
great navigators. The object OF our
order IL TO secure q living for our
me,lbers and to keep them out OF
trouble"
Mr.. Davis intends to take a trip
IN Canada, then proceed to Chicago.
snd then depart for Seattle. Az the
weather n growing too cold for com
fort on the blind baggage, he INTENDS
to buy an overcoat very soon.
Wide Three Advocated.
Tho convention took up the subject
OF the necessity Of legislation de-
mandinx wide tires on vehicles. Is
means for Misrepresentation. Many
speakers insisted that a buggy can
do moro harm than any other vehicle
because of its narrow tires.
8. Percy Hooker, state superinten-
dent of highways Of New Hampshire,
took I'D the subject Of gravel roads.
He insisted that q gravel road. con-
Meeting higher types of roads, can %
maintained for 5000 q mile. annually
There's no sense In spending VIZ
600 to $4,000 mile on roads that can
be built, for all practical purposes. for
81, 900 to $4,000 mile" he declared.
"The agitation for the best type OF
roads ia due to the automobilists
When the auto hrst began to be used,
they would have been tickled to oeath
with gravel roads"
As Col Stevens was absent, his
paper on the treatment OF WORKOUT
macadam surfaces was not read.
Printed copies were distributed to the
delegates. Col. Stevens discussed the
force applied to a road by q horse.
motor truck and an automobile. he
found that the force OF q horse 10
concentrated on q two-inch toe-calk.
and amounts to 800 pounds per inch;
that . motor truck Weighing eight
tons. loaded. will exert a force OF 500
pounds per inch. with six-inch tires;
and that pleasure car Of two tons.
40-horse power, at IS milos an hour.
exerts 400 pounds per inoh. Roads
must be constructed, he said. for the
heaviest Of these stresses. under the
worst possible weather conditions.
Commissioner Gillespie. Of Al
legheny county, Pa. told how q rich
community can afford to build suburb
an roads of brick. 8. D. Foster, chief
cl- - hA n<ot oh dol ~.
ment Of Pennsylvania. discussed
briefly the maintenance OF bitumin-
GUS macadam. A. R Hirst. state
highway engineer OF Wisconsin. ami
Prof. T. H. Macdonald, state high
way engineer of Texas. discussed
drainage structures and bridges.
James NJ. McCleary. Of Cleveland. de-
scribed Cuyahoga county's brick
roads. President Logan Waller Page.
director Of the United States ofiice OF
public roads. told Of various ways OF
testing road materials for hardness,
toughness and cementing value.
The afternoon session was devoted
to discussions of contracts. finance
and economics. In the convention
hall OF the Hotel Pontchartrain, We'd
nesday evening, CALIFORNIA; $4,000
600 road system will be discussed by
State Highway Engineer Austin B.
Fletcher, and Charles d. Light, field
secretary of the American Highway
association, will talk on Dirt roads
and politics" Moving pictures illus
trative Of road-making will be showh.
Thursday will be road users day In
the congress.
Pleads for Merit system.
John T. Doyle. secretary Of the
United States civil service commits
sion, pleaded for the adoption of the
merit system In building and main
tanning roads. In Tuesday afternoon
session.
I'VE have the spectacle Of 100. 900 or
more road officials, most Of them cleo
tive, and very few Of them required
to have any knowledge Of road con-
struction or maintenance" said Mr..
Doyle. 1T Is estimated that $780,
100000 u spent for construction and
upkeep Of our roads It becomes an
important economic essential that this
great outlay be expended under train
ed, capable and honest supervision"
p. e. Pennybacker, general secre-
tary OF the congress-. suggested that
an interstate commission be created
for the purpose Of securing, as nearly
as possible. uniform road legislation
In all states.
Charles Thaddeus Terry. chairman
Of the national legislative board Of the
American Automobile association.
said: 1T Is an absolute impossibility
for q man to obey all the roads laws.
for they are 80 conflicting. Laws OF
the states conflict with themselves and
with national legislation. There could
be no interstate railroad trafic II the
same procedure we're taken with re-
spect TO railroads % to common
roads,
A committee OF five was authorized
to confer with a committee from the
American Bar association to work for
uniform state road laws.
SHOOTS HUSBAND
OF DEAD LOVER:
KILLS HIMSELF