FEAST OF FLOWERS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

A beautiful and attractive parade expressing the floral wealth of California reviewed by President Roosevelt.

introduced to the people by the Hon. Lafayette Young, who made the speech at the Philadelphia Convention nominating him for Vice President.

Keokuk, Ia., on the west bank of the Mississippi, was reached at 8:30 a. m., the 29th. During the drive through the city, the main street being lavishly decorated with flags and banners and thronged with fully 30,000 people, the President's carriage stopped at the monument to the Indian Chief Keokuk. He was presented with a miniature facsimile of the first American flag, as made by Betsy Ross. The banner was of silk with thirteen stars, and was the work of Mrs. Rachel Albright, of Fort Madison, Ia., 91 years old, and a great-granddaughter of Betsy Ross. A stop of 45 minutes was made at Quincy, Ill., where the President was welcomed by a large number of people and delivered a short address on the question of currency. He said in part: "Our currency laws have been recently improved by specific declarations intended to se

cure permanency in values. But this does not imply that those laws may not be still further improved and strengthened. It is well nigh universally admitted that our currency system is wanting in elasticity; that is, the volume does not respond to the varying needs of the country as a whole nor to the varying needs of different localities. Our people scarcely need to be reminded that grain-raising communities require a larger volume of currency at harvest time than during the summer months. The same principle applies to every industry, to every community. Our currency laws need such modification as will insure the parity of every dollar coined or issued by the government, and such expansion and contraction of our currency as will promptly and automatically respond to the varying demands of commerce. Permanent in

creases would be dangerous, permanent contraction ruinous; but the needed elasticity must be brought about by provisions which will permit both contraction and expansion as the vary

ing needs of the several communities and business interests may require."

The train stopped at Hannibal, Louisiana and Clarksville, Mo., for several minutes, and the President was greeted by immense numbers of adults and school children, the children waving miniature American flags.

St. Louis was reached at 4:28 in the afternoon, the President having been accompanied from Keokuk by Governor Dockery, of Missouri. He was welcomed to the city by President Francis, of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Mayor Wells, President Carter, of the National Commission, and a reception committee made up of World's Fair officials and military officers. The President was escorted by military companies to Odeon Hall, where the National Good Roads Convention was in session. People were congregated along the streets and cheered wildly as he passed. In his speech to the convention, the President said:

"Roads tell the greatness of a nation. The in

fluence of the nations which have not been road builders has been evenescent. Rome, the most powerful of the older civilizations, left her impress on literature and speech; she changed the boundaries of nations, but plainer than anything else left to remind us of the Roman civilization are the Roman roads. Merely from historic analogy, this country, which we believe will reach a position of leadership never equaled, should so act that posterity will justly say when speaking of us, "That nation built good roads.""

He spoke of the benefits to the country districts of the trolley line, the telephone, and the rural free delivery, closing with the assertion that good roads would prove the greatest benefit of all.

After leaving Odeon Hall, the President was driven to the St. Louis University, where he was received by Cardinal Gibbons, and then to the home of Mr. Francis, whose guest he was while he remained in the city.

April 30, the buildings of the Louisiana Pur