The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-10
PERSONAL LABOR on PUBLIC ROADS

The last Legislature adopted a joint
resolution proposing an amendment 20 the
5th section Of Articls 10, Of the Consttu-
ton Of Virginia. which IS that the
General Assembly may impose upon every
male inhabitfnt OF the STATE, between
the ages Of sixteen and sixty years. the
duty Of working not exceeding two days
i'm any one year upon the public roads
and highways therein. subject. however.
10 such exemption from said duty as
may from time to time be prescribed by
law" This amendment is 10 be feferred.
for adoption or rejection. 10 the General
Assemble TO be chosen i'm November
This change in our Constitution was
brought about by a decision OF our
Supreme Court, declaring the oli Jaw un-
constitutional. which required personal
labor upon the public roads. and the
qu stion now comes Up upon its intrinsic
merit. whether II is advisable that the
public roads bee worked under the per-
sonal labor system or by money raised
by taxation
The argument is plain that many per
sons may by the personal labor system.
be required 10 work on the roads. from
whom no money could Doe collected. 10y
means Of a capitation tax or Otherwise,
ana that they should be required 10 DO
work because they use the roads. For
tlnatcly. in deciding this question 80 have
the benefit of considerable experience.
The old personal labor system prevailed
generally in Virginia, and under il the
roads went utterly 10 pieces. and the
system itself was so .mpracrcable and
lax as 10 be a repr0ach rather than
benefit.
A bulletin from the United States de-
partment ~ Agriculture published ia 1884,
gives AN abstract of the roal laws pass
"a On this country from lhss TO 1893. ont
Of the fourteen States passing such laws
only the state Of Tennessee made amy
allusion 10 the working of roads by en-
forced labor. The others provided only
for working roads with means raised by
taxation.
General Roy stone. who is special agent
IN charge OF the Road Bureau Of our
Agricultural Department. informs us that
the enforced labor provisions are being
abolished everywhere. and the money-taX
system substituted. The Secretary Of The
Virginia state Good Roads Association
recently sent out a circular letter 10
certain county oncers-e. T., clerks ana
chairmen of the Boards OF Supervisor
Of every county IN Virginia. making
number Of inquiries abou. the condition
and operation Of the roads Among other
questions asked. was this els your pres
emit system better than the Old system Of
enforced labor" OF the answers pee
q
this question directly give also the rate
of road-tax. The replies are as follows:
Accomac Oax 20 cents on Slo0j. Much
better
Caroline. 10 cents. About same.
Carroll % cents. Decidedly better.
Charles city % cents About same.
Charlotte II is better.
Fuvanna. Is cents Much better than
Taiifax. 10 cents Yes but what we
need is Il good road law.
II ghland. l0 cents. Conceded 10 De bei-
Nelson. % cents Decidedly better
James CITY. 10 cents. About same.
Montgomery, - cents. About same.
Shenandoah Much better.
Smyth. 20 cents Much better and more
satisfactory.
southampton. Yes.
STAFFORD. 20 cents. ! fS.
Northampton. 10 cents \ thousand
times
II should be noted that at the rate OF
taxation here given the amount Of money
expended on roads does not compare with
what was nominally expended under the
labor system. # the labor is estimated
at even the very low figure of 80 cents
per day, yet the roads are improved UNI
der this system. while they were not
'unIc the labor system. though the work
as now done without proper SUP 'ryision.
and under laws which take nearly an
Of the revenue Tor the expenses and
salaries of road overseers. with IN
tellicent supervision the difference would
be much more marked.
These responses indicate that the tax
method is much preferred. as indeed, the
OH system was a complete failure in
Virginia and We have little idea that
the coming Legislature will take any
steps 20 restore a system which would