The log cabin Democrat., 1916-12-20
GOOD ROADS THEME
Al CLUB BANQUET
INTERESTING SPEECHES
Delivered at Enjoyable Monthly Meet
ing of Conway Commercial
Club Tuesday Night.

Good roads and good fellowship
was the theme last night at the most
enjoyable and interesting monthly
meeting yet held by the Conway Com
mercial Club. Business matters be
fore the club were quickly dispensed
with and the 90 members and guests
present repaired to the De Luxe cafe,
where under the direction of Secretary
A. l.. Barber delightful menu had
been prepared and was served in in
sisted of five courses.
At the request of President 10
Frauenthal, President J. j. Doyne of
the State Normal School presided as
toastmaster and his witty and grace
full introductions of the speakers
added much to the pleasure of the oc-
casion.
State Highway Commissioner w. B.
Owen gave very Illuminating talk
on the subject of roads in general and
the application of the federal aid act
in particular. Mr.. Owen said that
Arkansas is about to enter upon the
greatest era of her history in build
ing hard-surfaced roads and predict
ed that the federal and state aid will
give wonderful impetus to the
movement. AS to the future admin
istration of the federal and state road
funds, Mr., Owen said he was going to
recommend to the Legislature the ap-
pointment of a non-political advisory
board, to be composed of the state
highway engineer, the professor of
civil engineering in the University
Of Arkansas and one other member to
be appointed by the governor. 1t
would devolve upon this board, he
said, to select the roads to which fed
eral and state aid would be extended
and it was his opinion that the roads
should be selected in the order of the
greatest population that could be
served by their construction. Mr.
Owen, said. however that the federal
and state funds would be but drop
in the bucket" compared to the
amounts which would be expended for
roads and he predicted that Arkansas
in the next FIVE years would spend
S10O,O00O00 for modern highways.
Former County Judge Joe Asher of
Little Rock, known throughout the
state as the road building judge of
Arkansas, made an interesting and
practical talk on the subject of road
construction. He told of the methods
! he had used in building over 25O
miles of hard surfaced roads in Pu-
laski county. He advocated a special
state highway tax of 12 to "a mill
to aid in the building of state high
ways. With reference to the proposed
state road from Little Rock to the
northwest corner of the state Judge
Asher suggested the formation in the
/ legislature of a special Improvement
district for the purpose, embracing a
strip of land from three to five miles
on either side of the proposed road.
He pledged the support of Little Rock
and Pulaski county to the proposition.
O. P. Nixon of Clinton, father of
the proposed road to the northwest,
was next introduced. He told of the
fertility of the Boston mountain
plateau, the resources of which, how
erer, are locked in by lack of trans
portation facilities, and urged unit
ed effort to secure this highway in
order that this section of the state
might be developed. ..
An interesting story Of how con-
Wet labor was employed to good
advantage on the public roads of
Woodruff county was related by
County Judge A. L. Hutchins of Au-
gusta. Judge Hutchins said that al
though there was not even pebble
in the soils of his county, 13 miles of
hard-surfaced roads had already been
constructed and 20 miles more would
| be built next year. Judge Hutchlns
also referred to the great future OF
! the State Normal School, of which he
| is one of the trustees, and urged tnat
Faulkner county should always send
! it's best and most progressive men to
the legislature in order that the IN
terests of the school may properly be
safeguarded
Although all g the speakers Of the
even;rr w"re tanning and an
structive, ,s ably the most elo-
ouent was Car Baer, secretary OF
the Little Rock Board of Commerce.
Mr.. Baers subject was cooperation
and diversifcation. In strong and con-
vincing 'anguace r urged the need
of -. CO orar ion between the
Ibu n, professional men and the
rgrnsr ng about the prosperity
iof boil, Tho ula community Of in
torest, re SAID, was also necessary III