The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-11
First Big Session of Convention
in Memorial Hall.
County Commissioners Fired
Opening Gun This Morning.
BAD ROADS AID KAISER
Markham Makes Stirring Appeal
for Permanent Highways.
Howe. Tells Clerks More Eff
cient Assessors Are Needed.

d "A bad road anywhere in Kansas is
an aid to our enemy insofar as it is
stumbling block to the highest effic
iency of those who live along its path.
And the final drive that must bring
us victory is not only the drive from
the cannon's mouth, but also the drive
from every farm home in Kansas"
With those two assertions sand
wiched between paragraphs. w. c.
Markham, secretary of the state high
way commission, in an address this
afternoon, sounded the keynote of the
Topeka convention of Kansas county
commissioners and county engineers
who are here for a two-day session
The commissioners and engineers are
meeting in connection with conven-
tions of Kansas county clerks, regis
ters of deeds, county treasurers and
clerks of the district courts in session
here today and tomorrow. Hundreds
of the county officials are in attend
ance.
The county commissioners held
their first session at o'clock this
morning at the Memorial building and
after a general discussion of everyday
problems and routine business ad-
journed at noon to meet again this
afternoon at the same place. Cover
nor Capper did not address the morn
ing session as stated in the program.
Owing to a rearrangement he will talk
at the general assembly of all the as
sociations tonight at the auditorium
This meeting which begins at o'clock
tonight will be the feature one of the
convention. Clarence E. Aiken, Ford
county commissioner, will preside, and
in addition to Governor Capper, Mayor
]. E. House will talk. The governor
will talk on kansas First Duty in a
Time nj Crisis
Good Roads Chief Topic.
At the session of the county COM
fniSsionerss this eafternoon all the
speakers talked about good roads.
E. R. Moses took for his subject, 1.-The
Relation between the County Com
Commission" The new national
highway law was discussed by S. n.
Hawkes., assistant attorney general of
Kansas. Markham'S address came be-
it embraced a stirring plea for bet
ter roads and more of them"
Time is often the turning point in
war; said Markham. The whole
map of Europe would have been
changed could Napoleon have moved
his troops over hard surfaced roads.
Today more than 80 per cent of the
munitions and supplies of the allies
is transported by motor trucks over
real roads and motor truck on a
real road means time.
But some say that it is economy to
discontinue road building at the pres
ent time, on the theory that we need
our money and labor for more neces--
sary things. Would they discontinue
the manufacture and use of candy,
chewing gum, tobacco, carpets, china,
jewelry, coffee, tea, electric signs,
wall paper or books? Would they
close the theaters, stop gifts to foreign
missions, colleges and universities?
, M
none of the things mentioned are as
essential to the efficient, speedy and
economic conduct of the war as per-
manent roads.
THE National Council of Defense is
today. urging that motor trucks take
/ over all freight to be carried a dis
tance of 200 miles or less to relieve
the railroads. This means that in the
elements of speed, mobility and con-
tinuity the motor truck is destined to
transportation for limited distances.
/ Transportation is transportation,
whether il be in Kansas or Belgium,
and we all know that the farm near
est good transportation always brings
the highest price.
Must Have Hard Roads.
'In order that the motor truck may
| take up this new task it must have
hard roads, the same as a railroad
must have rails. If the government
! sees tnlS call to be one of necessity
in war times, it is clearly evident that
| it will be a permanent fixture when
! wars shall cease. It has already been
demonstrated that highway freight
trains are an economic fact even be-
! yond the government call of zoe miles.
| Today there are freight motor trucks
! plying between Akron, o., and Boston.
| Mass, and they cover this distance
1,51O miles, in a week 1t is said
that even express companies do not
deliver goods any more rapidly and
the truck rates are already compet-
ing with express rates. This means
that where freight is hauled over a
free rlght-of-way. the rates can easily
be reduced over those obtaining on a
! railroad whose right of-way must aid
IN bringing dividend to its stock
holders- AS some one has said Sure
ly the star CT the motor truck is onlx,
peeplng above the economic horizon.
Business Sessions.
Following the addresses the com
m1ssloners and engineers resolved into
a business session, appointed commit
tees and heard reports of officers
The registers of deeds were the only
association in addition to the county
commissioners to hold a session this
morning. They convened at 9 O'Clock
| in the office of j. T. Botkin, secretary
of state. Their entire convention will
be devoted mostly to technical prob
lens of office and the handling of
routine business.
The county clerks fired a sort of a
preliminary gun to the Big Five
convention Monday afternoon when,
| as ex officio assessors they met at
the office of the state tax commission
L. T-k.