Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-06
reading typewriter assertions. Is the
victim of the mos, remarkable lapse of
memory on record.
TWO TIMELY UrTERANcEs.

Farmville Herald each has timely ut
tcrance upon most important matter
the necessity for good roads in Vir-
ginia. The Courier. remarking that the
franchise question is not the only one
of Importance to come before the con-
stitutional convention, says:
"Another matter which should receive
attention. and which would go Il long
ways toward the reduction of criminal
expenses, would be TO make some pro-
vision whereby criminals sentenced to
terms in the county jails would, in
stead. he required TO work out that
term upon the public roads. This would
be both saving to the State and q
saving 10 the counties. The State
would not have to pay for their keep
ing ANA the counties would save in the
employment of labor to work the roads
II would also to some extent. relieve
The pressure in the penitentiary. Many
of the one year men in the pententiary
would then receive sentences on the
public roads
The Herald thinks the construction of
proper highways is both State and
Federal problem. aud is inclined to a
system of government post roads. II
says:
THE army of 100000 mon now en-
ployed to shoot civilization into brown
brother men ought to be armed with
SPADE ana pick to make smooth our
abominably rough highways. Where
ever the government sends mail boy
II ought Ia assist in furnishing de-
cent roadway. Wherever a State has
founded 81 capital city II ought to aid
In MAX tbp rOuJes Ion n N ms
sable winter and summer
The county with market towns
ought To contribute to the comfort of
man and beast as they go along the
roads leading into them.
Inc roads from home to churches.
to mills. 10 postofices and to other
homes should be the pride OF all the
neishhors VINO use them
Next to good schools. good roads are
the greatest civiizcrs. They are to- the
agricultural population what railroads
arc to the cities. The benefits that fol-
low the construction OF good roads.
while Slower to appear are not less
great. and are much moro evenly dis
tributed than the benefits that follow
from the construction Of railroads.
There is much. therefore, in what
each of our contemporaries says 1t
would he infinitely better from every
point Of view for the government to
put 100000 men TO building post roads
than to put them to shooting Tilipinos.
But the government is not going to do
it, because road building is less spec
tacular than war. and the men who are
anxious to cut Il figure in the Philip
pines would not care to he road over
seers. There is no reason. however.
why the State should not give more at
tention to road building, and the sug-
gestion of the Courier is eminently
practical. Indeed, the problems that
the constitutional convention should
consider are in the order of their i'm
portance, about as follows:
To induce the development of the
States resources by immigration and
investment.
To provide more efficient public
school system.
To lay the foundation for systematic
road building, leaving details to the
General Assembly.
The looping off of useless offices in
State and county government.
a sensible and conservative limita-
ton of the suffrage.
The VirginianPilot Is aware that the
last will be first when the convention
meets. but that will not make it most
important.
If the weekly press OF the State would
take UP this matter of good roads-and
it is one in which the clientele OF the
weekly press is vitality interested--it
might. by insistence. have due consid-
Grafton given it by the constitutional
convention and the General Assembly.
particularly in the matter of the en-
nloymcnt of able bodied convicts in
road building.