Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-04-16
TRI-CITY ROADS
BOOSTERS HEAR
GOVERNOR dunno
Greet Executive at Sterling at
Close of Strenuous Day
Spent in Cause.
SPEAKS AT A BIG MEETING
Starts Work In LI?eoIn Highway and
Talks to $4,000 In % Places
Along 134-MIIe Route.


sentatives OF the press OF the three
: cities participated in the festivities at
Sterling which last evening marked
the finish of the spectacular trip
across the state by Governor Dunno
in the interest of highway improve.
ment The Sterling demonstration was
the largest one OF a long and strenu-
GUS day during which the governor
travelled 134 miles by auto. made %
stops to encourage or assist IN actual
road construction and addressed 5O,-
600 people assembled IN response to
the executives proclamation setting
aside the day to pull Illinois out OF
the mud"
Sterling was crowded with good
roads boosters who came from the
trLcities. from Clinton, Morrison,
Dixon, Geneseo. Erie and intervening
points. Twelve automobiles carried
the governor and those accompanying
him. In the party were w. G. Edens,
president OF the Illinois Highway as
ISOLATION; State Highway Commits
sioner Cash, Bradt and Wilson. Speak
er William Mckinley OF The Illinois
house OF representatives. J. NJ. Glenn,
secretary of the Illinois Manufacture
ers' association. and others prominent
in the state and in Cook county.
Given a Banquet.
The Chicago party began arriving in
! Sterling about 8 o'clock. At o'clock
they and the other visitors were
given a banquet by the Sterling Com
mercial club at the Gait house, and at
S o'clock the program at the Academy
of Music was opened.
] Judge II. c. Ward of Sterling pre-
sided over the meeting and the speak
ers included Governor Dunno, Speaker
Mckinley. Mr.. Edens and members of
the state highway commission.
I'VE have made history in Illinois
! today" said the governor. I'VE have
gotten the people out of their long
sleep on the road question and the
disgraceful neglect of our highways
is to be ended. Instead OF being 23d
among the states in respect to expen-
ditures for improvement we hope to
| take rank with the leaders.
Our trouble has been that our state
had too much material wealth. The
soil was so productive and our natural
resources so great that the handicap
of poor roads did not affect our pros
perity. But we have come to see
wherein our prosperity can be made
still greater through the building of
highways which will make IL easier
and cheaper TO transport ourselves and
our products from place to place
from the farm to the market and back
again.
Law Was Archaic.
"TVe have been working under an
archaic law which has left the build |
ing and maintenance of roads entirely |
in the hands of the township. but at
the last session of the legislature a |
new act was placed upon the statute |
books and one which we believe will |
prepare the way Cor better things. We
hope that the people will give this law
a fair trial.
Speaker Mckinley spoke of the pass
ing of the Tice law by the last legisla-
lure as one OF the IS measures recon-
rnended by Governor Dunno in his in
augural message. Two-thirds of all
he measures recommended were like
wise enacted into law. No partisan
lines were drawn in considering good
roads. The convict labor law. enabl-
ing the state to work its prisoners on
the roads. was another piece of legis-
lation calculated to help improve the
highways
The others who spoke discussed var
ious phases of the good roads problem.
Mr. Edens, when called upon read
q telegram from r. ]. Finnegan, secre-
tary of the Illinois Highway associa-
ton. stating that the good roads day
IN Cook county in which $1,000 was
given away in prizes in drag contests,
was an immense success.
Prior to the meeting there was a
band concert in the streets. the Sterl-
ing and Morrison bands each giving
several numbers. Sterlir~ was gaily
decorated for the occasion.
The tri-city newspaper men, who
we're piloted 10 and from Sterling by
A. z. Nissen. secretary OF the Iowa
Auto association. travelled in automo-
biles furnished by Louis Otto. OF the
Union Motor company. Davenport. ,
and VI. Landauer, also OF Davenport
The trip up was made over the Rock
River Valley route.
Governor Rose Early.
The governor rose at $50 yesterday
to begin his trip across the 1
state, leaving Chicago at Gas.
The first stop was made at the Joy {
Morton farm. on the Butterfield road. {
in Milton township. Dupage county.
Here a little body of men numbering
less than a score had begun to scrape
and drag and level the road.
Governor Dunno alighted and turned \
a shovelful OF earth. thereby officially ,
Illinois great roads project. I
The time was 500.
Mooseheart. % miles further ON and
AZ miles from Chicago. presented a z
vastly different picture. Here fully
2 900 citiZens-farmers. citizens or
Geneva and other near by
gathered. Hundreds OF
men were working on the road. a part
Df Lincoln highway. the projected
I. 3s9-mile NewYork-to-San Francisco
road. With scrapers. more than half