The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-11
THE ROADS OF VIRGINIA.
THE QUESTION II ASSUMING GREAT
IMPORraNCE ~ THE Site
The Association Is Working Hard tn I'M
prove the Public fiighways-farh's
Efforts by Various Counties.

The question Of good roads Is taking
a deep hold Of the Virginia people anu
the quiet and systematic work OF e1uea-
ton on this subject By the Virginia state
Good Roads Association Is showing prac-
teal results in many localities
The experience has been that where
interest has been aroused. and reform
in road making commenced, that the re-
suits have been 50 apparent that the rem
tenticn paid TO the subject, ana the moro
money spent. r. the place where the ds-
sire 10 do still mere Is the strongest;
The Enforcement in the roads is maIkea
IN Bedford county, and the ques.ioh nc
become one OF enthusiasm Win the p,o-
pie. This county has been WORKING
twenty-fOur cOnvicts for several Seals
with fine results. ana the county naS
recently purchased new road machines
a county convention on good roads was
! hcld July 9th and after discussion OF
the subject the meeting ADJOURNED LOT
the purpose Of forming good roads assoc
CATIONS IN each msgistcrial district with
a view of meeting together asain IN sep
TENDER.
TO WORK COMBINATION.
Another meeting will take place AZ BOD
I ford city September 18th. tndt PROMISES
! to hc Of great interest. Major X. \;
Gaines. the member Of the State Board
| Of Agriculture for that district, Ml- II.
| y. ellis, vice-president or Inc foui
| Roads Association from that district anu
| Mcssrs. George T.. MurfcN and X. -.
! BufOrd representing the Horticultural
| Society OF the county nave been IN cor
| resi- Chdcnce with a view or combining
| the Farmers Institute, the Horticultural
| meeting. and good roads convention
| into one assembly 10. last three days
each 10 have one day apiece. This meet
| ing will commence september iSih.
The question Of good roads viii also
| be made prominent feature Do me
| Farmers Institute of the Eighth District
| az Manassas. General Roy stone. chief
| Of the Road Inquiry Bureau OF the United
! states Agricultural Department, viii de-
| liver an address. as also Secretary Nor
| ton.
There was a county meeting in Halifax
| July "a. and Good Roads Association
| formed. Much excellent road work is
| beng done I'm Halifax, and the road
| from Houston 10 South Boston, partlcu-
| layly, has been much improved.
In Culpeper there have been number
| Of meetings, the last about two weeks
| ago, and a committee was appointed to
| secure legislation TO enable them TO
| raise funds 10 macadamize all the main
| tnOrOughfares OF the county.
| The sentiment is very strong for macad-
| amized roads wherever 10 Is practicable,
| and much Of this kind OF work has re-
| Gently been done in Augusta, and General
| stone not long since personally visited
/
thorities, TO make suggestions as TO the
| relocation Of certain fOats.
ROADS or ALBEMARLF
Albemarle county is on quite a boom
| Tor good roads. and a good deal OF per-
manent road work is being done.
| Tho road from Charlottesville 10 Cor
| louisville has been put in better condition
| than IL has been for years and the work
| was aided largely by land owners along
the line furnishing teams and labor free
| OF cost.
| Accomac county is another section
whore much attention is being paiG 10
| good reads, and this county is notable
| because 10 is the only one using terra
Gotta pipe for cross drainage under the
| roadbed.
Mary other counties might be cited
which are waking up 10 the necessity OF
| road improvement.
| Secretary Anderson. OF the Virginia
| State Good Roads Association. saws there
| are more roads being worked practically
| and systematically than ever before In
| the history Of the State, and that more
| road machinery was purchased in Nir-
| ginia during the last twelve months than
for five years before.
BAD LEGISLATION.
| The strong sentiment for good roads in
| Virginia Is much retarded by bad lesisla-
| ton. and there is strong sentiment
| in favor of striking from the statute
| books all existing laws and adopting an
entirely new system OF road laws.
| The decision Of the Supreme Court In
| regard 90 working roads by the citizens
! giving d certain number Of days annually
to the work has already produced salu-
| tary results.
| Opinions gathered by the secretary Of
| the Virginia Good Roads Association from
| the supervisors. for the most part. from
| nearly all the counties are nearly unanl-
nous I'm tho support or the direct tax,
| and they report that under that system
| a marked Improvement has been shown
| i'm woodworking. In order 10 remove the
| hinlrances in the virginia road law,
which is practically the same as IL was
| "a century ago. many OF the counties are
| working under special enattmeuts. none
| Of which meet the full requirements or
| their needs. The only saving clause IN
| the general law IS the permission 20 tile
| counties TO levy tax OF from I'VE 10
| twenty cents on the hundred dollars for
| road work.
The question is one likely 10 occupy an
| important part In state politics, and un-
! less the signs Of the times are an aHry,
| the old system will never be returned 20
| by the Virginia people through amend
ment 10 the Constitution, as proposed
rHR NETTING HIRE.
The Good Roads Convention here Octo-
| Der 10th. during the fail Fair VIII De
| largely attended. General Roy stone VIII
| deliver an address. as VIII also Mr isaac
y. Potter. OF New York, who is almost
the pioneer OF good road-making In this
| country.
| since the convention, october 18th last,
| when the State Good Roads Association
was ORGANIZED. It has been doing ali IN its
power 10 advance the cause OF road I'M
| provement In Virginia, with encouraging
| success.
TO This convention is invited every one
| who IA Interested i'm the subject or road
| Improvement, but in order that there may
| be a delegation from each county
| authorized 10 speak FOR IL, the chairman
of the board Of supervisors OF each coun-
| ~ is asked 70 appoint delegates 10 repre-
| sent his county I'm this convention, as
| follows: One delegate at large represent
| ing the entire county. and one delegate
| from each magisterial district IL Is de-
| sired that the delegate al large ne chalr-
| man OF the delegation
| They are arranging an Interesting ana
| Instructive programme, ana VIII try 10
| have exhibits OF road machinery al work
| Al the EXPOSITION Grounds. They want
| the representatives Of the various coun-
| ties 10 confer together, IN order that
| each may be benefited by the experience
| Of others.
NTVs or FULTON.
| r,terost,nr Notes About People and