Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-08-20
DIXIE HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION PIONEERS
NATIONAL GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT
(Lee Langley, in The Times,
Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Dixie Highway association is going to
be much more than a birthday party
it is significant far beyond its social
aspects and pleasure possibilities. 1t
will mark distinct era in American
progress along new and important
lines.
Good roads are one of the most
important factors in civilization.
They have added much to the facili-
ties and economies of transportation.
They have broadened the scope and
usefulness of the church and the
school by the enlargement OF their
territories. They have shortened the
travellers day and increased his COM
fort and pleasure; cut down the mar
keting cost for the farmer, increased
his profits and reduced the cost of
living for the city dweller. They have
made neighbors of strangers and
brought into close and pleasant per-
sonal relationship those once separat-
ed by distance.
TRANSPORTATION has run in cycles
in America; it first followed the riv-
ers; then came the stage coach and
the covered wagon. Followed great
era of railroad building-the rail
lines absorbed freight and passenger
traffic. The automobile has again put
traffic back on the roads as it was in
the early day when the immigrant
with his team carried the family and
the household goods across the coun-
try, ever hunting the eternal Utopia.
Good roads have made this possible,
and the Dixie Highway association
has borne an honorable pioneers part
in bringing it to pass.
1t took Americans long time to
recognize the economic value and So
cial advantages Of good roads. We
spent money on our homes, farms
and factories to increase our own
wealth and add to the estates we
hoped to leave our children, but it
took us long time to learn the in
vestment value of good roads. Roads
were expensive to build and we re-
fused to believe that they were worth
their costs.
Within the ten years existence OF
the Dixie Highway association, and
largely through it's activity and infiu-
ence, and that of other similar or
CARNATIONS, the public appreciation
of good roads has grown wonderful
ly. The first few pieces of all-year-
round Dixie highways built soon dem
onstrated their economic value and
other advantages and rapidly won
converts to the good roads cause.
When a farmer with his horse-drawn
vehicle or a motorist with his car ira
yelled five miles on good highway
and then struggled through mud and
over bumps for another five miles,
he began to clamor for the removal
of his troubles through the uniform
Improvement Of the whole distance.
When investors and homeseekers
come hunting locations and refused
to consider any offerings except those
on important highways property
owners at last awakened to the mo-
new profits from good road construc-
ton and maintenance.
But the promotion of good high
ways has been struggle. Organiza-
tions like the Dixie Highway associa-
ton have had to carry the burden
and they have carried it to their Gre
dit and honor. 1t has been a work of
education as we'll as a task of per-
Torrance.
AS far back as 1913 or 1914 those
of observing tendencies discovered
that the tide of travel had turned to-
ward the south. Perhaps this discov-
cry was made by automobile manu-
facturers and motor clubs, as they
were the pioneer promoters of good
roads.
Good roads, like all other branches
of progress and civilization, were in
spired primarily by selfish motives.
The automobile manufacturer and
dealer realized that the success of
their enterprise depended more upon
good roads than anything else; and
these roads must be built in the di-
rection that their customers showed
a disposition to travel. Their princi-
pal detectives were discovered to be
in the southern states. The business
people of the cities and rural dwell
lers along the line were not so quick
to catch the significance of this move
ment or to grasp the opportunity for
profit offered thereby as was the au-
tomobile industry. Following a cam
paign of education conducted by the
Dixie Highway association they all
saw the light and mile after mile of
improved highways began to creep
across the states.
Early in 1914 somebody, perhaps it
was Carl Fisher, saw vision of a
great system of improved highways
penetrating the states between the
Great Lakes and the Florida keys.
The idea was developed into concrete
form and plans whipped into SEM
blance of organization. During the
fall of 1914 Chattanooga, with char