Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-10
Our Roads.

Beneath the lowest depth lower depth
yawns 10 receive into its gaping bosom the
unwary traveller who attempts 10 use the
roads in this State when they are in the
condition that now disgraces our high
ways, and instead of inviting TO Virginia
settlers from other States causes those
who VISIT us TO hasten to get beyond our
borders.
How are we TO get good roads2 There IS
only ono way in which they can be obtain
ed, and that is by paying for them. All
attempts to secure them otherwise will
necessarily fail, as not only common sense
teaches ms but ss the experience OF the
people of every State in the American
Union and Of every progressive country IN
The world has demonstrated. And yet II
might be said that a system of good roads
yonld cost nothing; because TO expend
million of dollars upon their construction
would be TO add more than million OF
dollars 10 the assessed value Of the lands.
This Is no extravaganza statement; for TINS,
as we think we have said heretofore, is one
of those cases in which money thrown out
of the window is brought back through
the door But it does not follow that htful
expenditures and local improvements will
result rs would the resort to system for
the whole State. To expect such conse-
ouences would be as unreasonable as to
expect good streets in city to result from
paving one hundred yards of a cross-street
here and another hundred yards half
mile of, with no connecting pavements
between them. Like OLIVER WENDELL
HOLINESS "one-hos shay" such asystem OF
bogus improvements would give out every
where at one and the same moment and
leave the traveller to scramble out OF the
mud ss best he could.
If what we have said be true, what fol-
lows? Surely we need not point out the
lesson il teaches-namely, that it would be
the height of folly for us to expect good
roads in Virginia to be made by the local
authorities of the Commonwealth. There
being a good deal of money in each OF
them, it would be possible for the several
wards Of Richmond TO adopt for them
selves. il the charter of the city would
permit them to do So a system of street
improvements somewhat respectable; but
unless they consulted one another in adj
vance Of separate action, even these seTe-
raj wards would be compelled in the end |
to ask the Legislature to make one city |
embracing all of them. thus enabling |
them TO devise system of street improve
irents worthy of the city.
The several railroads across this CONT |
nent made their own business after they
were constructed If their construction |
had depended upon private enterprise |
alone--that is, if the national Government |
had not lent its assistance to the work in |
the form of Immigrants or otherwise
they would never have bound the East to |
the West. And yet those railroads are not |
only now worth more than they cost, but |
they have added to the value OF the pro- |
perry lying along their lines immensely |
more than that cost amounted to. At the |
risk of making an Irish bull, we repeat
that these roads have cost the country
nothing.
SO it must be as to "A good system of
roads in Virginia, (or, az TO that matter, In
any State.) Such a system cannot result
from local action. The counties are as
unable to perfect such a system as Colo
RADIO and Utah were thirty years ago to
construct railroad leading from the At
lantic TO the Pacific.
II the people are not willing to pay for
good roads they will never have them.
And here seems TO be the.weak point all
over the land. The same story comes to
us from every State whose lawmakers en-
deavor TO keep the word of promise to the
ear and break IT to the hope. The roads
everywhere are. we are told, the merest
makeshifts." So they are in Virginia, and
Just at this time they are impossible, or
next to impossible. Everywhere the peo-
pie want TO get out of the mud, but, in the
words Of the Philadelphia Times, they
seem 10 expect the ways and means to tall
like the gentle dew from Heaven or the
mamma in the wilderness, and by no means
TO be raised by taxation. This is the
sheerest nonsense; good roads Will cost
money" in the beginning but will cram 1t
back into your pockets in the end. De-
preciated farm lands, loss of time. wear
and tear Of vehicles, horses and harness
will be heard Of no more or at any rate IN
o vastly reduced degree. Mr.. ARTHUR KIRK,
of Pennsylvania, thinks it would pay his
State to invest six millions OF dollars a
year in roads. 1t would pay Virginia to
spend a million of dollars year.
But can a State which Is afraid 10 tax
worthless ours, but chooses rather to seethe
sheep industry" destroyed, be relied
upon to levy tax for the betterment of
our roadsY A General WASHINGTON said
sn his farewell address, (" Here perhaps we
ought to stop"
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