The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-04-14
Communicated
Good Roads and the Industrial De
uaIOp,,oert Of VIRGINIA


The rapid advance Of manufacturing and
mining in Virginia in the last ten years, has at
tracted great attention from business men Of
the North, Notwithstanding the unsettled condi-
ton of the States finances. Prominent among
the inducements considered by capitalists in
making investments, is the cheapness of labor.
That item in ali Southern industries is largely
influenced by the nlildness and salubrity of the
climate, making outdoor work possible the
whole year. and the cheapness of living among
a people so largely agricultural.
A careful observer in looking over these state
ments will see an important fact omitted 1t is
true that Virginia has large surplus Of agricul-
tural products seeking a market at low figures
And she also has extensive mineral resources
being developed. But the gricultural products
are mostly raised in the broad fertile limestone
valleys. while the minerals are found for the
most part i'll the rugged Businesses of the noun
tains distance OF from ten TO thirty miles
often lies between the farms aud the mines, II
between the supplies and their markets.
| All through the State the roads are bad in
winter and in the mountains they are billy
usually rough, and often unnecessarily steep. II
takes long while to haul a light load over
| them, and the farmers usually cannot sell then
produce to the mines and furnaces as cheaply
| as the supplies can be shipped to this market
from cities one or two hundred miles distant
| The miner finds living and labor higher than
| he expected and feels discouraged at the inroad
| that these items make in his expected profits
The farmer is virtually cut off from his natura
market and with great sagaci5y blames the rail
roads. He is inclined to think that it would be
better for the general government to own and
operate all the railroads, or pass laws empower
| ing State officials to regulate service and make
rates.
But would it not be well for the people as a
| body polite, to show themselves capable OF
building and maintaining good roads of dirt aud
stone before attempting to build OF supervise
the operation of the highways of steel that are
| so vitality connected with the commerce of our
country?
Toll roads offer one solution Of the difficulty.
But if good free roads can be built without in
| creasing the taxes to construct them, thatwould
certainly be more desirable. 1t would be well
to require all road-taxes to he paid in cash, thus
doing away with the present custom of having
men work out their tax, a practice that is often
quite farce Every voting citizen will then
have to pay one dollar and fifty cents annually
towards the road fund.
Among some of the large mining and furnace
companies of Allegheny county, it is the custom
to collect capitatiOn tax and county levy on
all Young ClUlZ0llS employed On ILelf WORKS. anu
for whom tax-bills are furnished by the Com
missioner of Revenue. Now, if the road tax
were payable only in cash. and the large com
panies were authorized to collect it from theiI
employees and spend it on an assigned section
of road convenient to their plant, tine company
could most judiciOuSly spend the money by
working their own men, under their own fore
man, and with the assistance Of their superin-
tendent or engineer The supervisors duty
should be to inspect the roads and require de
tailed statement Of all work done on the roa(
and all money collected by the company from
their employees
The officers of the companies would see the ad
vantages Of good roads to secure them abun
dant supply of pershahie food products, ant
would, as rule, give their assistance to maxi
such scheme a success. No ones burden O
taxes would be heavier and the results would b
much more satisfactory than under the presen
system.
This plan would be applicable wherever an in
dividual OF corporation operates works employ
ing fifty or more men, and as stated embOdie
the principal features Of the method that tn
officers of the Low Moor Iron Company expec
to employ to secure good roads from the take
that are paid annually by their employees.