Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-11-11
from the Roanoke Times, Oct. 2Sth.
COUNTY ROADS.

The local importance of the subject dis
Gu ssed at the Commercial Association rooms
last evening cannot be overestimated.
Good roads are as much a necessary to a
community as good buildings or prosperous
enterprises. A country without good roads
is merely desert. The strong arguments
presented at the Association rooms for the
improvement of the county roads around
Roanoke should stir up the people of Roam
oke county and city to realizing sense of
the entire inadequacy of their present high
ways.
The trade of a wonderfully fertile farm.
ing section over radius of twenty miles
ceDters at Roanoke, aud yet not single
highway leading out of Roanoke is even in
second rate condition. The expenditure of
double the road capacity of every farming
wagon coming into Roanoke. Iustead Of
hauling ton of hay ten miles with four
mules in half day. the same load ought
to be easily hauled by two mules in lot
over four hours.
The equations are sslf evident The
value of every farm ten miles from R)an.
oke would bs practically doubled by the
construction of good macadamized road
from Roanoke to that farm The advan
tages of such good roads would be reflected
in many ways. As pointed out at the meet
ing last night, many products not raised
would become staple articles in this section
if there were good highways for conveying
them to market.
The action of the Association in appoint
ins IA Committee to formulate a practical
pati for improving the country roads at
ses 4 The thorough public spirit which &C.
tuates that Association. II ia to be hopad
that the committee will report at gu early
date, and that the public will follow up
that report with vigorous action.
In line with the action of the Agricul
tural Association comes an interesting re-
port of the meeting of the executive board
of the State board of agriculture in Rich
mond Monday night. The most important
matter discussed was the condition of the
public roads of Virginia. Mr.. OrEis A.
Browne submitted plan for improving the
highways of the State. In substance it was
as follows:
First, that the State be divided into 800
road precincts by proper divisions Of the
counties; second, that the governor shall
shall receive $500 year and shall be fur
uished BY the State with farmers lecsl
and necessary equipment; third, thst the
governor shall appoint one road engineer
for each thirty road precincts. who shall re-
ceive each 81. 200 per annum and travelling
expenses limited to 5000 per annum; fourth,
that the State shall levy tax of five cents
on every $100 worth of property and pay
the expenses of the road engineer and road
man.
Fifth. In order that any county may have
| the services of the engineers and raidmen,
the supervisors of the county shall levy and
collect tax of 10 cents on the one hundred
dollars worth of property and capitatior
tax of so cents on every male person over
twenty-one year old annually, the same to
be used in furnishing labor, machinery
teams, tools and other necessaries, as the
supervisors may direct. under the manage
ment Of the engineer.
Sixth. The supervisors in any county o.
the State may, in their discretion, levy
further annual tax of one dollar on eact
horse or mule, and fifty oents on every two
wheel and one dollar on every four. whee
vehicle within the limits Of the county; ant
al moneys collected from this source TO b