Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-19
THE RICHMOND DIsPAroH-FRIDAY. OCTOBER 10, 1894.


necessity TO ask the aid In the way Of
appropriations from the national revenue.
and to that courys I should object. on
the ground that national taxation Is al
ready heavy enough. and should be re-
duced rather than Increased, and such ap"
Preparations, II made, would have an
other evil. In that they would be often
apt TO be made more from political mo-
tives and to serve political ends than
from motives for the best interests or
any particular community. i would re-
move this question entirely out OF the
range Of political influence, and would
give to every State and county the right
To have the assistance Of the national
credit whenever IL was prepared to COM
ply with the conditions on which that
national assistance could be given"
PLAN FOR LOANS.
Now. why should not the National Gov
eminent offer to take up money offered
TO be loaned by banks and financial insti-
tutions. say i'm loans Of 100000 at n time
upon long-term bonds. say running at
least fifty years. ard up to sevcntyiive
years. say at per cent. per annum. l
believe the money would be willingly lent
upon these terms. These loans. 50 to be
taken up, should then be lent to every
State or county which made application,
In such sums az the State or county was
prepared to give State or county bonds
secured upon the taxes to repay with in
terest. say at ga per cent This extra
J, per cent. would meet all the necessary
costs OF supervision OF these loans by the
National Government. Before any loan
was made to any State or county there
should be submitted to n department Of
the National Government 20 be consti-
tIted FOR that purpose. plans and est-
mates for permanent highways through
the state or county to be built out OF the
proposed loan. and 1t should be the duty
OF the National Government to hold an
inquiry I'm the State and county as to
the fitness OF the execution OF the pro-
posed roads 10 meet the needs OF the
community. and as 10 the reliability of
inc estimates for their completion"
These State and county loans should
De made In tho longest terms for which
The money was borrowed by the National
Government. in order 10 make the repay
ment In the shape Of an annual sinking
fund. to be repaid to the National Gov
eminent along with the interest every
year. as easy rs possible. BY the adop-
ton OF this system a capital sum suTi-
Client to enable the building and compile
ton OF a system Of highways in every
state and county could be placed AZ the
disposal o. the authorities. and the exist
Ing tax-rate. IL suppem ented as II shoull
be. by n ratable contribution from every
city In the State or county. would be
sufficient 20 meet the annual interest and
einkingfund. and the necessary repairs
OF the new roads whilst long before the
whole loan was repaid. the advancing
value of the real estate in the State or
county. consequent upon such improve
ment IN the roads, would b. more than
sufficient 10 recoup every dollar Of the
original outlay
Not one Of the least Of the advan-
taees 70 be gained by the adoption Of
the system | suggest would be that il
would place poor counties and rich ones
on an equal footing. and thus permit each
10 advance Mt the same cost. II the
poor county could only give satisfactory
security for $1,000 it could get IT at
II per cent. and for a long term ~
years. Just a. easily az could 4 rich
county which might be able to give Sc
curity for ten times the ammount."
Slr. Ashburncr's Paper.
ar. c. l.. Ashburner. Jr.. of Henrico
cornty. read a most interesting paper on
the topic. "Our Highways: Their Con-
Struction and Maintenance" He said that
the roads of n country were an accurate
test OF the degree of its civilization. He
went back To the time when no roads
had been built The first step ND the
ladder was the mud road, then roads Of
dirt The speaker was no friend Of
dirt roads. lie attempted to show the
convention how the $4,000 the State
spends annually on her roads could be
utilized 10 better advantage
Mr.. hshburner said that faults that
could not be overcome by surface must
be mi;igatcd as far as possible by grades
thereby making a road more nearly what
1t ought to be. The minimum grade al
lowed should be 1 TO 10 degrees. and
the heaviest grades should be reduced
to 3 or IL degrees. either by winding
around the hills or cutting them down
and filling the valleys. at tn. discretion
Of some experienced engineer.
All roads should be properly formed.
at least thirty feet wide, with n side
slope Deep side bitches should BE- cut
and kept clean. This will often have a
wonderful effect upon a bad road. The
effect Of rain upon a road. and the lack
Of proper draining were treated elaDo-
rately. Trees and shrubs should be cut
away from the sides. to allow tho sun and
wind 20 dry the rOad-bed as quickly as
possible. Should the soil be of clay, Mr..
Ashburner went on 10 say that the sur
face Of the road can be greatly i'm
proved IS covering II WIN coarse SdHL
and vice versa. The speaker attacked at
some length the present use of the road
sCrapcrs. The result of this implements
work was mud OF the softest character.
lie urged the importance Of using the
proper-sized stones In filling up holes.
The plOw should be left on the farm.
It's work. though large In quantity. was
bad in quality. When a road gets INFO
ruts and holes II should be given p5.t
II ncsds-more material. This material
should always be gotten as srayelly as
possible. and absolutely free from vege-
table matter.
PLANS FOR RAISING MONEY.
Speaking OF the matter OF raising re-
sources. Mr.. Ashburner said the authori-
tics should collect the road-tax In money,
instead OF labor. and put the same in
the hands Of some competent ensineer.
II counties are too poor 10 do this two
or more might combine and secure such
a man. After treating the MacAdam road,
the speaker offered the following sug
gestions TO raise the money:
Firstly. Let the rOad-taX b. paid IN
money. instead Of labor. This labor sys-
tom. besides being unconstitutional, l.
huge farce.
Secondly. Let a poIl-tax for roads be
levied on every maze citizen or alien,
whether property-hpiItr or not
Thirdly, County bonds ut long time. and
low rate OF interest, with tax on property.
or roll-tax. to pay interest and provide
a slnkng-fund.
Fourthly. Let the State make an annual
appropriation TO assist the counties. by
paying one third Of any improvements
county wishes to make.
Filthy. We should claim national aid
for our roads. as We do for our rivers.
Mr. Ashburner thought good roads could
be built throughout Virginia at a cost
not exceeding 5000 a mile.
Convicts on Public Roads.
one of the leading papers of the day
was that of Mr.. John Graham, Jr.. who
spoke upon THE Use Of Convict-Labor
Upon Public Roads" Mr. Graham was
not in favor OF working the convicts
upon the public roads. He estimated that
the cost to the State Of working this
labor was about 80 cents per capita
per day He admitted that Is was true
that there We're some classes Of public
work upon which convict-labor could be
employed To advantage. but, so far as
his experience went. ii was neither de-
srable nor economical whn applied To
the construction Of highways. He decr.ed
the exposing Of large bodies Of condemned
fe,ons TO the gaze Of the public II was