Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-11
OUR PUBLIC ROADS.
VIEWS OF AN INTELLIGENT PRACTICAL
CITIZEN FARMER.
statc Department of Roads and Bridges In
Charge OF Competent Engineers Re
auired-Other Suggestions Made.

OFFLEY, VA, February 1o.-(Spec'al)
Your correspondent was In conversation
to-day with a hlghly-intelllgent. practica'
citizen ard farmer the subject OF
county roads a question to which he has
devoted much thought and observation
for many years past. and his views ana
suggestions seemed so sound and tmeIy
that | will try TO reproduce them' az
they may prove OF some interest ana
value IN the discussion now going on over
our public-rOad system.
In substance he said: II am glad to see
that there IS some agitation Of the public
road question IN the Legislature, ana nope
from the tenor OF what | have read that
fhere Is some chance that eventually We
NAV have a State department q; roads
and bridges in charge of competent ehgl-
neers, and that all work Will De let py
contract TO the lowest bidder.
THE idea OF having only one engineer
for the State Is simply impractcaDie.
The belief that good roads can be Sc
cured by a county's purchasing lot OF
'road-machines' and putting them IN
charge Of the county supervisors. or OF
commissioners appointed by them to be
operated viii be admitted by all (when
the experiment has been trieD 20 be
a lamentable disappointment.
That such would be the case was per-
fectly evident to some at first. ii was
about az sensible as giving case OF
surgical instruments TO carpenter with
a license 10 practice surgery.
THE recent test case in an adjoining
county NroiIitt VS.. +. II. Anderson. De-
putty Sheriff OF Louisa county,, in which
the Court Of Appeals decided that the
law which has hitherto prevailed, com
pelling all able-bOdied citizens 10 do so
many days work OF the roads during the
year. was unconstitutional Will, / suppose,
call for prompt action on the part of the
Legislature. and result, / hope, in u
capitation road-tax.
ESSENTIAL FEATURES.
These" said he ARE some OF the
essential features, in my opinion. 10 be
observed In the securing Of better roads"
q. 1t is absolutely necessary that road
builders engineers have charge OF the
work. To that end there should be two
competent chiefs-one for Tidewater hnd
Middle Virginia, ana the other for Pied
mont and the Nalley-bOth Of these engi-
Heers to be paid by the State.
"2. In every county In the State whore
tax was collected for the building and
repairing Of roads and bridges IL should
be Illegal and grayely punishable to eX-
pend any part OF this tax or fund with
out the direction and consent OF the chief
engineer Of that district.
80. Upon its being represented TO one Of
these chiefs that n county In his district
or division had a sum of money sufficient
to pay an assistant and build a reason
able amount Of road. it should be the
duty of said chief to send an assistan.
engineer. at n salary not exec adilS so
or So per month: and this assistant ard
the supervisors Of the county shall de-
eide upon what roads the work had better
be done
-. All work done by an assistant would.
Of course. be in accordance with general
specifications furnished him by his chief.
TO whom he would be directly response
BILE.
THE chief Of each district could In n
year or two form pretty fair general
idea Of the pcculiaritles Of soil and of
waterways in the respective counties. and
direct his assistants intelligently from The
start while the knowledge Of both as 20
the particular work would increase from
year to year.
INFIDEMTY BETTER.
under this system. you would get not
a perfect road, but one infinitely better
than anything We have now. besides the
feeling Of satisfaction that you were lay
ing a foundation in the right place and
manner. which could be built on TO ana
improved as the means were furnished.
"The work should be let TO the lowest
bidder. and two citizens Of Intelligence
and high-standng I'm each magsterial dis
trict be appointed by the county super
visors 10 form. with the assistant engi-
neer a board for the letting and rcceiy-
ing OF all work done by contract.
A GOOD DIRT ROAD.
"By trimming out the road-lines so as
TO admit sun and air keeping "A uniform
width. with a YOad-bed very much ridged
IN the middle good side drains and cul-
verts made OF sound two-inch white
oak OF locust boards, covering claycy
places with such material as is usually
abundant in most parts or virginia.
ranelv. sand. gravel or rock, n dirt road
can, | believe. be had which would be
line driVing-way for nine months or the
year. and for the other three something
Infinitely better than what we now nave.
Doggy places could be made firm ana
sound by the use OF cheap materials.
abundant and growing near at hand all
over the State.
"The assistant engineer could. In most
counties. outline the work for that year.
and arrange for the proper expenditure
OF the annual levy under the contract
system in a few months, and his services
could then be dispensed with. until spe-
cially required or the next annual levy
had come in.
I'm other words" concluded he. '1et
the taxpayers money go for something
he can see. instead of being thrown away
as II is at present"