The Democratic Banner

Has Grown Into A National Event

Prominent Persons From All Parts Of the Country to Speak.

PROGRAM FINALLY COMPLETED

Steps To Be Taken at Columbus This Week For the Formation of a National Congress For the Discussion of Rural Life and Betterment of Market Roads--Speakers and Their Themes.

Columbus, O., March 10.--The complete program of the "Rural Life and Market Roads Congress" shows that several national experts will speak at the congress, which is to be held in Memorial hall here Wednesday and Thursday.

There will be a division of attendance between the rural life and good roads features, the program indicates.

At the opening session Wednesday afternoon the session will be devoted to women's addresses on the welfare of rural dwellers. Wednesday night's and Thursday's sessions will be devoted to the question of road improvement.

Judge Maurice H. Donahue will preside at the Wednesday afternoon session. Rev. H. H. D. Sterrett of St. Paul's Episcopal church will deliver the invocation and Governor James M. Cox will speak. Mayor George J. Karb will follow with an address of welcome and a resolutions committee will be selected.

Mrs. Martha P. Falconer of the Pennsylvania Training School for Girls will read the first paper on "The Neglected Child in Rural Communities." W. H. Allen of the New York municipal research bureau will discuss education in the country schools.

Miss Jessie Field of New York, secretary of the rural department of the Y. W. C. A., will outline "A Square Deal for Country Boys and Girls," and Miss Mary M. Vaux, owner of Hartegtown Farms, Bryn Mawr, Pa., will talk on farm management.

Dr. Charles W. Dabney, president of the University of Cincinnati, will close the afternoon session with a talk on "Rural Credits."

Cox to Speak.

Lieutenant Governor Hugh L. Nichols will preside at the Wednesday evening session and Governor Cox will speak on "Rural Life and Civilization." The relation of rural life to good roads will be discussed by Hon. Logan Waller Page, United States director of public roads. Rev. J. B. Schmidt, pastor of the Catholic church at Burkhardt, O., will discuss "What Good Roads and the Industrious Farmer Mean to the Country Merchant."

Dr. Charles McCarthy, director of the legislative reference library in Wisconsin, will close the evening session with a paper on "The New Education for Farmers."

Speaker Charles L. Swain of the Ohio house of representatives will preside at the Thursday morning session. G. Gordon Reel, state highway commissioner of New York, will tell what has been done there in building good roads, and Philip T. Colgrove, president of the Michigan Good Roads association, will discuss the commercial value of good roads.

Rev. S. S. Palmer, pastor of the Broad Street Presbyterian church in Columbus, and Dr. W. O. Thompson, president of Ohio State university, will read papers, and A. P. Sandles will close with a response to "Dirt, Dollars and Sense."

Steps will likely be taken at the Columbus congress for the formation of a national congress for the discussion of rural life and market roads betterment, with annual meetings. Many speakers and delegates will arrive in the city Tuesday evening, and a conference on this point may be held before the opening session.

Work was started today on decorating Memorial hall for the convention. The committee has received a large number of responses and a large attendance is assured.
H. K. LAIRD

Secretary

of

the

Ohio

Good

Roads Federation.