288 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



of the States. There has been constant demand for the bulletins and 

 circulars heretofore published, nianj^ of which had to be reprinted 

 during the year. Farmers' Bulletin No. 95, ' ' Good roads for farmers," 

 was reprinted twice, one edition amounting to 20,000 copies, and the 

 other to 25,000 copies. This bulletin is again exhausted and another 

 edition of 25,000 copies has been ordered, which will, Avith the original 

 edition, make 95,000 copies in all, that have been gratuitously dis- 

 tributed to persons directly interested in or engaged in road building. 

 The information thus distributed by the Government has no doubt 

 been effective in promoting a more careful administration of the 

 present roads and road expenditures. 



ROAD CONVENTIONS. 



In addition to the main features of our work — that is, the building 

 of short sample roads as object lessons and the distribution of prac- 

 tical good-roads literature — an attempt has also been made to inform 

 and stimulate the public mind by attending and addressing State legis- 

 latures, the legislative committees, road conventions, farmers' insti- 

 tutes, and other meetings where various phases of the road subject 

 were tc be discussed. The State and Interstate Good Roads and Pub- 

 lic Improvement Association held several important conventions in 

 Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, and Arkansas. Several plants 

 of road- building machinery, with experts to operate them, were fur- 

 nished by the road-machine companies, and short samples of roads 

 were built at most of these conventions, under the direction of Mr. E. 

 G. Harrison, of this Office. The first convention was held at Mon- 

 mouth, 111., September 2, and the last one at Fort Smith, Ark., Decem- 

 ber 22. During this time thirty-eight road associations were formed, 

 and through these over one hundred have since been organized. 

 Aside from the work of the National League for Good Roads, this is 

 the greatest campaign that has ever been waged in behalf of better 

 highwaJ^s, and will surely and favorably affect road legislation. 



A good-roads school or institute, lasting about ten days, was held at 

 Charlotte, N. C, under the direction of Prof. J. A. Holmes, State 

 geologist of that State. The Director and assistant director of this 

 Office attended and assisted in the practical instruction given. In 

 order that the jieople of the State ma}^ derive the maximum benefit 

 from the practical good-roads work being done near Charlotte and 

 from the educational advantages gained by coming together near the 

 work and discussing the details, it is quite probable that these insti- 

 tutes will be repeated from year to year. 



Representatives from the Office have, during the year, attended and 

 addressed farmers' institutes, boards of trade, farmers' clubs, or other 

 special meetings in New York, New Jersej^ Pennsylvania, Maryland, 

 District of Columbia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South 

 Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, 

 Kansas, Mis.souri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio. 

 At all of these meetings it was quite apparent that the agitating and 

 educational influences of this Government during the past few years 

 have not only advanced f>ublic opinion in behalf of better highways 

 in the rural districts, but have revealed to the public the fact that the 

 system by which most of our roads are now built and maintained is 

 by no means conducive to the best interests of all the people con- 

 cerned. No one who has given the question careful consideration is 

 now opposed to good roads, and men of all classes and conditions are 



