Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1902-04-04
THE NEED OF
GOOD ROADS
The Burning Question Of
the Day.

| fNN''" NV" S''hb WI ch oNCi tue
country. II has in il a promise Of
great things for the future. All
agr,~ thai the greatest need of the
greatest country on earth is good
roads. IL is strange that we have
not had them before, but now they
are c"ming; we do not know just
how, hut they are coming.
There is wide divergence of
opinion On the road question, as was
shown at the recent mssS meeting,
but this difference is only as to
"wavs and means" We are agreed
AS to what We need aud differ only
in our ideas of how TO attain it.
There are only two ways-to borrow
enough money TO rock the leading
roads at once, or TO attain this end
by the slower process of doing each
year what the available fund for
that year makes possible.
Our people, honest, Industrious
and conservative, very properly
hesitate before agreeing TO place up
on the County = large debt, and no
step.in public affairs, no matter how
advantageous, can be safely taken
unless supported by intelligent pub
lac opinion. To create such intell-
igent public opinion is the leeiti-
mate mission of discussion aud sgi-
tation. The question IF roads, th,n.
becomes one of business pure and
simple, aud is TO be solved only upon
the basis of cold facts. To help in
the solution, the following sugges-
tions and facts are presented, the
suggestion as to the roads that might
be built being only tentative, but
showing what could be done.
ROADS THAT COULD BE MACADAMIzED
From Graham TO Russell line via Liberty.
exclusive OF road now built ...........S8 mi.
From j. E. Pserys TO Richlands via
Baptist Valley, ....................,.....l0 mi.
From J. Il. Peerys down the River. 10 mi.
From Capt. Peery Place 90 Cove Creek Tex
citlnlNc Tor now
From Liberty road at Plum Creek into
Thompson Valley and in Thompson
Valley. ........................l0m mi.
From Grartton towards Wythevslle in
Burks's Garden, .......................,.'1 mi
I From Tazewell Depot To Willow Bridge
via J. Il. Peerys,. .........s................b mi.
From Tazewell Depot 10 Healing Springs
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. nj.
From Pocahontas 10 Abbs Valley and
along same ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, III mi.
TOrAL.........-......... lO' MI
These roads could he built, under
IN odern scientific methods, for $1,000.
90 per mile, but if the cost should be
more, the additional cost would be
more than Offset by the fact that IL
would not be necessary TO macada-
mize every portion OF the roads
| mentioned.
There is now enough money, II is
understood, in the Treasury 10 pay
the present road debt, so the whole
of future taxes could be applied 10
futher needs. The interest on $l09,-
600. 90. at . per cent land County
bonds could, possibly, be fioated at
4 per cent?, is $5450.00. The present
income ont of which this interest and
sinking fund could be taken
is about $07OO.00 per year. This
would pay the interest and leave
$l25O- 90 to be paid on the principal,
but tho interest charges would de-
crease and the sinking fund increase
ca ch year.
In addition to this, under the
present law, the supervisors have
$27OO. 90 per year for general road
nurpoSes. But il is not far to say
that the income would remain the
same. The available taxes for this
7 purpose will increase for the fol-
lowing reasons; Q) the constant nor
| NAL increase in values; % the in
crease in railroad taxation under the
provisions of the new constitution
I l3l the increase In the taxable value
of coal land which, il the assured
k.development of these lands and the
building of projected additions tt
the railroads. of the County came t.
pass. viii be greatly more than th'
recent rise in the value of thes'
i lands, great as il is, would indicate
,(3) add TO these the certain increas
IN values due directly to the pro
I posed roads themselves and it is a
certain as anything human can D
kcertaim that we will have in the nea
Efature ~ fund large enough to pa
. l the interest on the fund and provid
for grcatly increased sinking fun(
r + as we'll as to keep the roads of th