(Atlanta Journal. J
One of the most important things
the exposition has accomplished is the
gathering in Atlanta of many conven
tions.
We have had a large number of im
portant associations, societies and
congresses to meet here since the open
ing of the exposition and many more
corning, uut we uo not nesitate to say
that the National Road Parliament
which assembled to-day, is second in
importance and possibilities to none of
these conventions.
The awakening of the country to the
importance of road improvement is
one of the best signs of the country's
progress. Some of the States are in
the lead of others in this direction, but
in all of them there is in greater or
less degree a popular interest in the
road problem which will grow and
produce invaluable results. Those
States and communities that have
gone ahead and built good roads have
furnished object lessons which should
rrr . . . 1 lit
qe surricieni iq convince me quiiest
observer that bad roads are an extrav
agance and good roads true economy.
The tax upon the people of the
country by reason of bad roads
amounts to hundreds of millions of
dollars a year. The construction and
maintenance of good roads throughout
the country would add billions of dol
lars to the wealt 1 of the people.
Good roads seem expensive to short
short-sighted economists, but there is
no better inve.-tment possible. The
road laws in many of the States are
farcical, and such States can never reach
anything worthy to be called develop,
ment until they adopt and - enforce
some good system of road building.
The ancients were wise in this matter.
