The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-19

where Noah entered the Ark and looked out and saw.
 Senator Bankhead started out to tell the banqueters of federal aid, but he saw better aid in front of him and scored a triumph by introducing Mrs. Mathis, the woman farmer. Without any apologies to the senior senator from Alabama, it was self-evident that he told the truth when he said she could make a better speech than he could, for she did it. and would have made the same finish of any other speaker present or that could have been imported
 She made the statement that she had told the people of other states that she could command the papers of Alabama in "A hours. and that they doubted her. but she said they had been so good to her that she knew she could.
 A. G. Batchelder of Washington, ex- ecutive of the American Automobile association, outlined the progress of the motorists of the nation. in humor- ous and serious vein, in a manner that entirely pleased his auditors
 Alabama's inimitable Billy Bran don, down on the programme as Hon. w. W. Brandon of Tuscaloosa, booked to tell of Constructive Progress' fairly made the banquet hall ring with his powerful voice and the laughter that his acute sense of humor pro- duced. He was most effective in the pinches when he told some back woods stories, drawing the thread closer and closer until constructive progress was shown in his utterances
 Senator White made an address or local aid. in which he cited the evil of contracting state convicts, drawing the comparison between prison driven slaves in mines and those of the slavery days. Senator White stated that he believed that the aid needed was to get the state convicts on the roads and take them out of bondage that was founded on more greed for gold than humane treatment
 George McCleery was consderate of the hour and instead of speaking to the toast, "The Chamber of Commerce, D told humorous story.
 John w. O'Neill, whose subject was County Aid" relinqushed his time on the programme to R. F. Johnston of the Ledger. MT. Johnston spoke on "The Press and Good Roads," praising Sem ator Banllhead for his part in good roads. but he added that the sen ator was due new laurels for giving Alabama the longest canal in the world-the Warrior river-navigabl bl e to the gulf.
 Louis Pizitz was the next speaker, his topic being. "The Merchant and Good Roads" to which he did not re- spond, due to the latness of the hour, only making few brief remarks anent the connection of the two
 The banquet adjourned at midnight, after announcements as to the auto mobile parade at 10 o'clock this morn ing and the monster foot parade and mass meeting tonight at o'clock at Capitol park.
 CALLED TO ORDER
 The United States Good Roads associa- tion was called to order at 10 o'clock yesterday morning for the second day by John w. O'Neill. president of the Jef- ferson County Good Roads association, in the Chamber of Commerce auditorium.
 Dr. Albert Sidney Johnston, pastor of the South Highlands Presbyterian church, offered prayer, following which Senator Bankhead was introduced as .'the great est good roads apostle in the United States" which statement was applauded freely.
 Senator Bankhead offered as an apology for not being present at the opening of the convention, the planting of a gar den at his home in Jasper. in accordance with the recommendation of President Wilson.
 iotIld LOT bdHkHedQ reVleWeQ the antl- quated method of building roads in Ala bama When we began the agitation of government aid for good roads our plans were considered a joke.'' he said ''I received condolence from my fellow mem- bers of the Senate when I made my first speech in the Senate, but I kept it up for eight or ten years. and when it came to vote not single solitary vote was cast against it.
 Agitation and education accomplished 1t, just as it will do anything when you get sentiment with you.
 Good roads and free delivery of mails go hand in hand. We will soon have a government appropriation of $50 OO0 GOO an- nually for good roads and before long the government won't care how much money is appropriated for good roads,
 "Now, we are engaged in war We tried to avoid it in every way liberty loving, proud people could, but since we are in it, it's our duty as patriotic citi- zens to strike and to strike hard, to pro- this war, we must emphasize the value of good roads. What would France have accomplished in this war if it had not been for their magnificent system of good roads? Compare Russia, with practically no roads, to France, their progress in the present war; and note the results ''
 FOR NATIONAL HIGHWAY
 q want this convention to direct the Secretary of War and the United States Congress- attention to a national high <r~u<s~u>N H~ Dec S~.>~N