The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-01-13
STATE REVENUES AND GOOD
ROADS.

Senator Wickham, chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee. saws that
under the new Constitution the loss
OF revenue from taxation will be
$464,000. II that is the case. our
State has no money to vote away
for the jamestown Exposition. We
are compelled TO support our State
Government, to maintain our public
institutions for charitable purposes.
our asylums, our penitentiary, and
we are compelled to pay the interest
on our public debt. All these mat
tiers are imperative demands on our
resources, and about ITEM we can't
take any chances. The bonded in
debtedness of the State stands well
in the money markets OF the world
and must be maintained at the
present high standard. We repeat,
however, that we before have written
editorially-that il after meeting and
fully meeting all these demands there
is any surplus in the State Treasury
then we favor theexpenditure Of that
surplus on the public roads of this
State under some wise public road
law, and under the general surpervi-
sion of a Public Roads Commission.
which should be legislated into exist
ence. The paramount and all-im-
portant material issue and question
before the people OF Virginia Just
now is the betterment and improve
ment fthe present highways through
our counties. IL seems impracticab'e
or impossible for the counties. or
some of the counties, to do this.
Then, as such a system will be Tor
the general good, for the welfare OF
the whole State, we think IL wise
that this road Improvements should
be done under some general State
law and by a general road commis-
sion and with funds from the State.
This money can only be extracted
from the surplus, if there be any sur
plus, after the payment of the ex-
penses of the government, and meet
ing squarely and fully the interest on
our obligations. Buff what Senator
Wickham says turns out TO be true.
that we will lose S464, 900 OF revenue
under our present Constitution, We
don't believe there will be very much
of a surplus. SO our lawmakers at
Richmond must see to it that we are
Just before we are generous: that We
must first meet the legitimate de-
mands on our Treasury before they
vote away the peoples money for
anything or any purpose. Ii the e
be any surplus let it 90 to the road:
the best advertisement for Virginia's
resources is good roads. We NAV
bring the people here. and if they see
such roads as we now have they will
go back from whence they came. We
must have some road improvement,
and it must be. had, we believe, under
a general road law and under a road
commission. Ii there be no SURPLUS
to meet the requirements of this
commission. then these requirements
must be met by a good road levy or
tax. We believe that if Governor
Montague will continue in his we'll
commenced purpose looking to some
general road improvement, and will
urge the Legislature TO enact into
law Public Roads Commission and
will veto all laws legislating money
out OF the Treasury other than for
meeting such demands as we hereto
fore indicated, and will further urge
the expenditure and appropriation
OF any surplus in the Treasury, he
will do great good in his time aud
generation. Let him make the road
matter the one central idea and pur-
pose OF his administr ation.