Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-17
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY II. 1891
pennsylvania and Other Roads.


We have called attention heretofore 70
che fact that In New York and New Eng
land are heard innumerable complaints
concerning the condition OF the pubic
highways. The words employed TO de-
scribe that condition arc as strong as the
words employed in Virginia to describe the
condition Of our county roads. A natural
Inference from these facts is that intending
settlers from New York and New England
are not 80 apt to be frightened OF by a
glance at our bad roadsas we had supposed
they would be. But let US not jump to
conclusions that may be wrong. Perhaps
The people of.New England and New York
have suffered from bad roads so long that
they are determined never hereafter TO re-
side in State whose highways are not bet
ter than those which they have had to put
nm with from time" whereof the memory
of man runneth not 10 the contrary"
Anyhow. it affords us some satisfaction
20 know that we in this State are not, as
some Of our Virginia exchanges seem 70
suppose, the only offenders against reason
aud common-sense in the matter Of not
providing good roads for ourselves.
We suppose it may be stated truthfully
An general terms that the best roads in Vir-
rinia as she was before the war between
the States took place were to be found in
those counties where il was most diflicrlt
20 make good roads and the worst roads in
those counties where 1t was easiest 10
make good roads. by the same token !"
we have now. we may guess, worse roads
an Eastern Virginia than are to be found in
the mountainous regions of the State.
Pennsylvania is a State which would
naturally be expected to have good roads.
She is exceedingly wealthy and has dense
population. She is rich In hills and dales
30 living as 10 invite thelocation upon them
of the best and most substantial OF public
highways. And we suppose that nearly
everybody in Virginia gives Pennsylvania
credit for having system of county roads
well calculated to attract the attention OF
Would-be settlers from other States But
not so, IL we may credit the statements in
regard to this subject of our contemporary
the Philadelphia Times, which says that
the Pennsylvania Road Commission Cat
this late day, recollect, has undertaken the
task Of evolving system that will furnish
good roads. and has prepared two bills
having this object in view as the result of
twenty meetings in different parts of the
State at which thousands OF persons,
chiefly farmers, were invited 70 tell what
thew knew about road-building and to fur
pish whatever excuses they felt inclined to
make (now notice the language) "J0r he
WORTHLESS roads hat nOto disgrace so many por-
fions of 1e Commonwealth" That reads as
II IL were Yirginian's indictment OF our
county-road system. The Pennsylvania
Commission recommend an entirely
new system of working the roads and an
appropriation of millions (six, we Think
of dollars from the State Treasury. They
had found that nine millions Of dollars per
nnnum had been hitherto spent with the
results we have mentioned-spent by the
counties, we suppose, not by the State as
State.
1t would seem, therefore, that Virginia is
not, as one Of our State contemporaries
says, "a hundred years behind the times
in the matter Of county roads,"
Nevertheless, we must learn from the ex-
ample Of Pennsylvania that the time has
come for the improvement of our public
highways, and that this improvement
must be done under State laws, and must
be paid for out of the public treasury. We
have tried the local system long enough
too long, by far. We have put up with
bad roads when We ought to have had as
good as any Staten the Union could boast
of. We have taxed ourselves heavily in
this matter; for the cost to the farmers
and landowners generally of such roads as
we have had has been beyond computa-
tion. Over-worked horses, over-laden
wagons. broken wheels, ruined harness,
general discomfort, constant outgo
and no income tell the story of our coun-
ty roads. Improbable is all our hauling.
Lot us improve our ways"