Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-25
LIBRARIES AND 81
GOOD ROADS ARE
DISCUSSED WELL
Miss Lutte E. Stearns and
Francis Lester Make SpIen-
did Talks Before N, M. {, A..
on Their Favoriie Subjects,

~ NJ. y. \. annual meeting. Mis-,
lutio y. Searns OF Milwaukee. found f.
| OF the travelling library movement
SPOKE OF Social Relationships In
community Life" Francis T.. Lester
spoke on the duty OF the paren,
toward the school child in regard "a
road Improvement.
Miss Stcarns discussed with n rare
humor that kept the audience alert
and laughing tho fundamental prob-
tioms that face the United States. and
found their solution In culivating the
habit OF reading good literature. She
anticipated the day whom New Mexico
VIII have a good public library I'm
every county seat and branch libraries
In every other settlement. when tho
telephone and the automobile will
lend their aid In distributing good
books. the telephone being used to
order books from the library. and an
automobile carrying $50 books In
cases on each side will distribute
them 10 the homes. at the same timo
carrying picture books for the chill.
drcn and reference works for the old
err ones. Miss Stearns delighted her
audience and she was applaudcd TO
the echo
The relation Of wet, cold feet to
scholarship was elucidated most clear
y by Francis Y. Lester Of Las Cruces,
New Meylco's foremost good roads
booster. m a great speech that held
the audience spellbound and that was
supplemented by the finest stercoptl-
con Views that have ever been exhlb-
tied In the southwest.
The speaker explained how the
farmers OF the nation lost SAGA. OOo. =
600 annually in hauling their products
TO market because Of bad roads and
how that sum would build twelve good
transcon.inental roads every year.
His theme was that good roads
mean improved living and social con-
ditions and bad roads have been to
plorable movement OF the country to
the cities. No road is better than its
weakest link, he said. New Mexico
has happily thrown off the yoke of
corrupt road management. and, in
stead of third-rate politicians having
charge of the roads. they are now in
the eeping OF unselfish good roads
enthusiasts who serve the state and
community without compensation. he
asserted.
Good roads and municipal self-re-
spect go hand-in-hnnd." he said.
Good roads mean rural school con-
solidation and all the improvements
and advancement that this implies.
Good roads are making the school
houses and churches real civic CEN
ters. They furnish free lines of com
ImincatIon between home. school and
church. the three potent factors Of
community life"
Mr. Lester declared New Mexico
road conditions were excellent. sis
thousand Automobiles left $3,250.00O
in Colorado last year, he said, and
Americans spend $s0.0o0.O00 annually
in touring Europe. while New Mex
ico's attractions viii remain sealed
book TO Americans until New Mex
leo gets better highways.
open that bookl' was the injunc-
ton of Lester. why not talk to the
coming citizens about their future re-
sponslbilities?" he asked. Teachers
should be the missionaries in the good
roads movement"
Tho speaker then recounted how
two years ago nine citizens of siaail
town in New Mexico met one Sunday
afternoon and set In motion the agen.
cies that in "a short time reformed
New Mexlco's road legislation aud
built the finest system Of roads In any
New Mexico county
The pictures thrown on the screen
began with superb road built 5000
years ago. over which TO carry the
huge stones that went into the pyfa-
mlds Of Gizeh, which was followed By
an equally beautiful picture OF tho
Appian way. built by the Romans. In
contrast. a bottomless mud road in
South Carolina was shown.
Then followed good roads and bad
reads in various sections OF the United
States pictures Of some of the 2,00J
consolidated rural school houses, civic
centers. otc, in rural sections mndc
possible by good roads, of The light
loads which were too heavy for bad
roads and of the heavy loads hauled
over good roads, of doctors, carriages
and undertakers' hearses breaking
down on the road and other graphic
presentations in behalf of the good
roads cause. II was an enlightening.
a profitable. lecture and planted good
seed that will be carried TO the re-
hottest parts of the state.
Besides selections by the university
orchestra. Mrs. u. l.. Bradford sang
1.-THE Recessional" by Dekoven. Much
regret was felt that because of the
iatencss OF the hour the musical Sc
lection prepared by the New Mexico
Normal University Glee club was not
called for. although the club was
ready to render it, the young women
making charming picture In eve
ming costume and the young men hav-
ing brought their heavy Instruments
TO the auditorium Last year the Las
Vegas singers We're one Of the biggest
features Of the session and a thousand
and more teachers looked eagerly for
ward to hearing them again last night.
Mrs. John Wilson. chairman OF the
school patrons section, under whose
auspices the session was held, pre-
sided