isu-uuuu unas it necessary in tiie proper conduct of the city’s affairs.
.H. A. (“Andy”) Delcry, fire com-missioner-clcct. in making appointments in the firo department, declared that all present employes and officials of the department “will bo cared i r,i	one is being ousted, he
tl*‘Cl a red. in denying reports published y ednesdny afternoon and termed by Hie incoming fire commissioner as misleading and premature.”
Ollrc Gets Heave.
C. J. “Roxio” Ollff. present chief or the department, jjill be made a battalion chief. Mr. Celery said. Mr. Ollre, whose health has been broken town through strcintmis duties of his position, lias asked for a two months' absence, wwcli was granted. •\\ hen he comes back,” Mr. Delcry said, *a job will be Uniting for him.” Ao decision on ,tho post of fire marshal has been 'jpiudc. Mr. Delcry pointed out, but (He office will be filled at the propot time. A1 Cade, clerk in Fire Marslftil Will H. Smith’s office, is being mentioned for the post.
-”iefs, Ethel Hughes
Two battalion and John Little, Wednesday as bi retained. Mr. De* II. F. “Kid” Ollrt out chief, will May
entioned in reports ig ousted, will be ry said. Likewise. .' cousin of the pres-fcin his position.
' Shifted.
Some of the battalion chiefs may be shifted, Mr. Delcry said, but they will not be oustdd from the department.
The assistant bliiefs will have equal rank under Mr. wDelcry’s system.
No action was taken at Wednesday’s meeting oii filling places on a number of appointive boards.
The new officers must yet name all members of theyboard of the Houston Foundation, an entire new health board, three members of the board of the recreation department, a new group of library trustees,- a new board for the tubercular hospital, four members of the board of Jefferson Davis hospital, an* entire n‘e\v -board for the social service bureau, one member of
TEXANS PRAISE SPANISH TRAII
Members of Motorcade Back in Houston See Great Mure For Route.
___ ___________   recognized	when	_
tain weak spots in West Texas are ironed out, Texans who participated in the San Diego.. Cal. to St. Augustine. Flo., motorcade declared on reaching Houston Wednesday afternoon on their homeward journey from the Florida city.
Leaders of the Texas delegation began here a series of conferences which they hone will result in the early improvement of sections of the historic trail west of Sau Antonio.
The purpose of the conferences,” Harral Ayres of Sail Antonio, man-g director of the Old Spanish Trail association said, “is to find a basis of co-operation between the state highway department and West Texas people for. the clearing up of all the weak sectious of the trail now existing in West Texas. Wc hope for an early meeting of state highway officials and West Texas leaders at which every question and problem involveo can ‘be gone into and a speedy solution found.”
He added that this meeting probably will take place at some point in West; Texas. More definite plans will await a discussion of the situation with Chairman R. S. Sterling of highway commission.
Mr. Ayres, Colonel H. M. Dich-ann.' president of the San Anlonio Automobile club and a director of the American Automobile association;
the
____ F. W. Sorell of San Antonio,
national director of the beautification department of the Old Spanish Trail association, and Mrs. Alex Adams of San Antonio, assistant dictator, participated in the conference held here at 5 p. m. Wednesday.
The Texas members of the motorcade. numbering nearly a score, reached Houston in their bus at 3 p. m Wednesday. They were _ escorted from Crosby by n welcoming party from Houston, including Col. Ike Ashburn, general manager of Chamber of Commerce: Mrs. E. Clin ton Murray, East Texas director of the beautification department of the trail association, and Mrs. F. W. Armstrong. Most of the motorcade members live iu San Antonio: they planned to start the last lap of their journey of more than 2000 miles at 7 p. m. Thursday, after spending Wednesday night in Houston.
Plan Return Trip.
One result of the trip at St. Augus-tiue is to be a return motorcade in October to form at St. Augustine and travel the trail through Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans. Houston and San Antonio to San Diego. All Florida counties on the trail are organizing for the big trip, according to Mr. Ayres, and at least 100 cars will participate iu it.
“Two things were demonstrated by the trip to St. Augustine,” Mr. Ayres said at the Warwick Wednesday night. “One was that a fleet of cars
trail wc must keep the whole route in first class condition. The Old Spanish Trail is already the best transcontinental highway in the country, but the people of the nation have just begun to realize it. It is the only transcontinental route open all the year.
“To show what this trip accomplished. 1 may say that when we traveled toward St. Augustine, the people we met were interested in us. On our return trip, the people were interested in the highway. They had realized that they were on an oeenn-to-oceau route, open all the way. connecting the nation's greatest playgrounds. as well as some of its most interesting historic spots.”
Members of the motorcade attended a three days’ festival at St. Augustine in connection with the dedication of a monument marking the beginning of the trail. The California delegation issued an invitation, backed by the mayor of San Diego, the Automobile club of Southern California and other officials and organizations, for a return motorcade from St. Augustine to San Diego and received enthusiastic acceptances from prominent Floridians.
4	Objects	of Trip.
. ‘The return motorcade in October will have two principal objects,” said Colonel U. M. Dichinann of the Texas delegation. “One of these will be to fix rhe minds of northern people, at a time when they arc planning their winter trips, on the country traversed by the Old Spanish Trail. The other will be continued development of the inter-community friendship along the highway so wonderfully manifested on the first motorcade. The big purpose is to tic together California, Texas, Florida and the country iu between ns the big winter playground of America.
“The distance from New' York to San Diego by way of Mobile and Houston is now but 1G0 miles greater than the distance betweeu those cities by way of Memphis and Dallas, and the roads and climatic couditious on the Mobilc-Houston route are so much better that the driving time is actually less than over the Memphis-Dal-1ns route.
Will Turn Southward.
“Once the people of the north real izo that they can be playing golf in the sunshine their second day out of Washington and then enjoy outdoor sports all winter long from Florida to California, thousands who nowT spend their winters at home will turn southward.”
Paving along the trail has been completed or arranged for from St. Augustine to west of San Antonio, except in one county in Mississippi and one county in Alabama, Mr. Ayres said.
“That means” he remarked, “that improvement of the Old Spanish Trail has given Houston a paved highway to New’ York.”
Covered 27*13 Miles.
The California delegation, traversing the whole length of the trail from San Diego to St. Augustine, motored 2743 miles in 11 days. The Texas delegation began its trip at San Antonio. traveling above 1200 miles to the Florida city.
The trip from St. Augustine Houston—1025. miles—was met iu five aud a half days, with a number of stops. The travelers left St. Augustine Friday morning, spent half a day in New Orleans and made several other shorter halts. At Beaumont Wednesday morning, they were _ eu breakfast by Beaumont people, and at Liberty were entertained at lunch. Liberty women, alreatty organized for beautification of the trail through Liberty county, discussed with women of the motorcade the trip to St. Augustine.
Party Reaching Houston.
The party reaching Houston included, besides Mr. Ayres, Colonel Dich-muun, Mrs. Sorell anid Mrs. Adams, Mrs. J. L. Brow’n and Mrs. H. A. Moss, both of San Antonio, national directors of beautification work on the trail; Miss Virginia Edgecombe, manager of the trail association’s touring department: Mrs. Ida Brosch, assistant secretary of the association; Mrs. W. D. Hundley, Mrs. W. G. Mas-terson, Mrs. Rose Lee Loring, Mrs. H. S. Affleck and Miss Marie Call-sen, all of San Antonio, and Mrs. Annie J. Smith of Houston.
At a reception at the Warwick, be-
ginning Wednesday at S:30 leaders of Houston organizations interested in the Old Spanish Trail heard the returned tourists tell of their trip and discussed w’itb them the improvement and beautifying of the trail. Among those participating were Mrs. Murray, Mrs. H. M. Heyde, president of the City Federation of Women’s clubs: Mrs. W. O. Huggins, Mrs. L. L. Parks, Mr. and Mrs. Forrest McNier, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Bushway, W. W. Joues aud Edward
The Old Spanish Trail is America s best transcontinental highway and will be so recognized when cer-