The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-11-05
FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC ROADS.
Captain Orris Browne Submits a
Plan to the Executive Committee
of A fr;cflltural Board.

The Executive Board OF the State
Board of Agriculture met at Rlchmont
| Monday NIGHT. there being present Maj
| w. T. Sutherlin, of Danville. president
OF the board Mr.. Orris A. Browne. o.
! Accomac; Mr. Henry L. Lyman, of Char
/ lotte. and Colonel Thomas Whitehead
the commissioner.
1t was a meeting for the purpose OF
discussing in an informal way such mat
ters as that body might see tit to recon-
mend to the next Legislature The most
Important matters considered were fhe
report of the president, the condition OF
public roads, the necessity for botanlst
and geologist, and the fertilizer ques-
ton.
Mr.. Orris A. Browne, who has always
made his hobby the condition of the
public roads in Virginia, submitted the
following plan for making and main
tanning the roads of the State.
ResolUed, /. That the counties be so
divided according to population that
there shall be 300 road precincts in the
State.
9. That on the recommendation of
the supervisors of each county the Gov
enor Of the State shall appoint road
man to take charge of, make, and main
tain the public roads in each of the road
precincts
8. That the compensation for the
services Of each road man shall be $500
per ann..*
4. That lie State shall furnish each
road man with farmers level, staff,
chain and pins.
Z .. That the Governor shall apnoint
one road engineer for each thirty road
preclhcts; The. pay of each road engi-
neers shall be $1,000 per annum and each
oe allow see travelling expenses, not to
exceed 5000 per annum.
.. haJ ten hours shall constitute a
days work for the road engineer and
road man, and that each of them be re-
Iulfed 70 make monthly report to the
BOARD OF Supervisors Of the county for
each day of labor.
{. mat the State shall levy tax of
I'VE Genus on the hundred dollars worth
~ = properly throughout the State to paw
the salaries OF the road engineers and
road men for five years. After thai time
the road precincts, road engineers and
road men shall be reduced one half and
the tax reduced one half
.. 1t shall be the duty of the road an
glneer to teach the road men in his
thirty road precincts the use of the level.
ana give such other practical informa,
ton as he may deem necessary.
IN order that any county may have
the services OF the engineers and road
men the supervisors of the county shall
leVy and collect a tax of 10 cents on the
one hundred dollars worth of propertv
ahd a capltatlon tax of so cents on every
male person over twenty one wears old
annually, the same to be used in furnish
ing TABOR, machinery, teams, tools and
othef necessares, as the supervisors NAV
oifect, under the management of the
road engineer. 'iie
lo. The supervisors in any county of
the state may in their discretion lew a
iuftnef annual tax OF one dollar on each
morse or mule, and fifty cents on every
-FOUR wheel vehicle within the limits of
the county; and all moneys collected |
rom rom TINS source to be applied to road |
WORK WITHIN the county, under the man /
ageihent OF the road engineer.
H. Ihat the time of the road engineer
ana road men shall be exclusively devo.
tea TO work on the roads.
Il mat the Board of Supervisors in
each county shall have power to dismiss
any roadman for neglect of duty or in
competency and recommend another
person to the Governor to be appointed I
in his stead.
IL. The Governor shall have power to |
dismiss at any time the road engineer
for neglect of duty or incompetency and I
appoint another in his stead.
a. That all existing laws in conflict !
with the foregoing shall be repealed.
No action was taken upon the paper |
presented by Mr.. Browne but it will be |
given further consideration at the next I
meeting of the Board