Evening star., 1923-05-27
A. A. A. ELECTION
HELDLAST TUESDAY
Secretary of Agriculture Ad-
dresses Annual Meeting at
BiItmore Hotel, N. Y.

Henry c. Wallace. Secretary of Agri-
culture, was principal speaker at the
twenty-first annual meeting of the
American Automobile Association.
held at the Biltmore Hotel New York
city, last Tuesday. George C. Diehl
of Buffalo. retiring president of the
A. A. A, presided. About $50 dele
Sates, representing the principal auto
mobile clubs in the United States,
were present
Thomas p. Henry of Detroit was
elected president for the ensuing
year. G. Roy Hill of Minneapolis, sec
retary, and William C. Kirby OF Chi
elected as follows: Charles A. Fraser
Of Massa chusetts: r. ]. Walker, Cali
fornia; Frank S. Gold. Minnesota
Frank Q. Miller. Florida; c. H. Verse
hoyle, Texas; Daniel f. Reese. Penn
sylvania, and DR.. L. S. Golfer. Ohio.
The association accepted into mem
bership twelve automobile clubs.
bringing the total membership up to
more than 100000.
Through the adoption of resolutions.
the A. A. A. went on record as favor
ing the removal OF highway denart-
ments and officials from politics;
favoring the government taking over
the obligation Of both building and
propriated lands and federal reserves.
instead of leaving this to be done by
the state in which they are located,
and again pledged itself to continue
its efforts for the national system Of
adequate highways.
Association COmplimented.
Secretary Wallace departed from
his set speech to compliment the as
sociation on it's work for federal aid
TO roads. and declared that the A. A. A.
had no small part in making federal
aid possible. He told of the disburse-
ment of the funds and how they are
handled, and also went into detail re-
Cardiug the work of the Agricultural
Department scientists for good roads.
especially with reference to testing
materials. solving drainage and other
problems and fitting special materials
to different soils. He told Of this
group of men. about $500, connected
with his department the largest sin
gle group of scientists in the world.
DR.. James w. Inches. former police
commissioner of Detroit, said that
the most important problem confront
Ing the police Of every city is that OF
handling traffic. 1--WE have been
regulating tthe motorist for the past
ten years" he said. "and it is time
that we start to really regulate the
pedestrian, as an unbclievably large
percentage of accidents to pedestrians
which result in injury or death are
due to the carclessness of the pedes-
trianS.
Legislative problems menacinE the
motoriSt are facing automobile clubs
in every state in the Union, Robert r.
Hooper of Philadelphia. a past presi
dent of the association. declared.
Pennsylvania has even gone SO far Is
10 attempt to take the money co.,
lected from motorists for the payment
Of deficit in general funds, instead
OF using it for road maintenance. he
said He called attention to the COM
paratiVely small number OF organ
lied motorists and declared that un-
der the circumstances the work done
by the organization has been remark
able.
Warns Against Socialist Element.
A. NJ. Loomis, secretary Of the Ma
tional Grange, VITO warned against
the new socialist element that is
creeping into the government. said
that even the farmer, trained to think
ideas, is beginning to listen to this
class of politician, whose chief stock
in trade is the promise of lowered
taxes. Never before has there been
such a revolt against taxation as
there is today. and the politicians are
taking advantage of this state OF un /.
rest" he said Mr.. Loomis declared
that many farmers are paying more
in taxes on their farms than the farm
would bring at fair rental value.
Col. Sidney D. Walden Of Detroit
and c. c. Cottrell of San Francisco
discussed the gasoline tax situation
DR.. H. NJ. Rowe OF Baltimore declared
that the minimum of accidents will
never be reached until both pedcs-
trians and motorists are equally reg
ulated. Daniel Reese of Scra ut or.
Pa. told of club work.
The delegates were guests Of the
A. y. a. at luncheon at the Bit
more AT noon.