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Show G000 ROADS IN UTAH Delegates from All Over Utah Boosting Boost-ing for Improvement in Highways High-ways Good Roads Association Associa-tion Formed. Salt Lake City Delegates to the cumber of 250, from all portions of the state, gathered in Salt Lake City on Thursday, January 14. for the purpose pur-pose of discussing the important ouestion of the improvement of the public highways of the state. Among the important things accomplished at the opening session was the appointment appoint-ment of a legislative committee, consisting con-sisting of one member from eac;i county and ten at large from Salt Lake, which was instructed to report at Friday's session of the convention. A resolution committee of five members, mem-bers, and one on permanent organization organi-zation of ten members was also appointed. ap-pointed. John Bern was named temporary tem-porary chairman and J. E. Jennings, secretary. Professor R. R. Lyman and L. W. Page, of the department of agriculture agricul-ture at Washington, gave some excellent ex-cellent advice as to the different ' methods of road making. Professor Lyman advocated a well built road of dirt as the best foundation for the macadam or asphaltum road that, could be had, and quoted liberally from figures as to cost of maintenance mainte-nance and construction. According to these figures a road of asphaltum would cost $44,000 a mile, with a given width of 30 feet. A good dirt read could be constructed by means of a scraper and a split log drag for $30 to $40 a mile and maintained for less than $10 a mile a year ever afterwards. af-terwards. Professor R. R. Lyman made the statement during the course of an address ?o the delegates that a road through Utah of snfficient strength and durability to withstand the wear and tear of automobiles could be built at a cost of no less than $25,0-00 a mile. Judge O. W. Powers stated that the growing popularity of the automobile was directly responsible for the present movement for better roads. After two long and enthusiastic sessions on Thursday, the good roads convention finished its business, thoroughly organized a State Good Roads association, decided in detail upon the good roads measures that, the present legislature will be asked to adopt and adjourned sine die. The convention was a success in every way. The plan now arranged for purposes pur-poses of carrying out a system of good roads throughout the state is the appointment of a commission by the governor of the state, the commission com-mission to consist of the governor, the state engineer, the state treasurer, treas-urer, an engineer from the Untver- sity of Utah and an engineer from the State Agricultural college. This commission will select a competent highway engineer, who will have charge of all the roads in the state, without being under the jurisdiction of the state engineer except as that individual represents the commission of five members. This highway engineer will be a salaried officer, and will hold his position po-sition as long as he continues to give competent &irvice. The details of this scheme are embodied in a bill which will be presented to the legislature legis-lature during the present session. The permanent organization of the convention was effected, as follows: President, Governor William Spry; secretary and treasurer, J. E. Jennings; Jen-nings; an executive committee of five members, two from Salt Lake command comm-and one each from Weber, Cache and Utah counties. Senator Herschel Bttl-len, Bttl-len, jr.. was elected to serve from Cache county, George M. Cannon and O. H. Hewlet from Salt Lake county. Joseph Dunn of Provo from Utah county, and O. B. 'Madsen of Ogden from Weber county. Vice-presidents were elected, one from each county. The subject of good roads was made the basis of a discussion between be-tween Governor Spry and L. W. Page, director of public roads of the department de-partment of agriculture, at a meet ing held in the governor's office Friday Fri-day morning. A number of senators and representative repre-sentative were present at the conference, con-ference, and many details of good roads construction were pretty thoroughly thor-oughly threshed out. The matter of administration of the scheme in order or-der to avoid any interference from politics, was especially dwelt upon, and Mr. Page outlined a plan for this end also gave a good deal of information informa-tion regarding the methods of con slructing hard surface roads. |