The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-03-07
SPOTSYLVANIA ROADS
Mass Meeting Votes for improve.
mentS.
Supervisors Asked To Arrange for Bond Issue
Many Speak In Behalf Of Better Highways Etc.

supervisors ASKED 10 Strange Iof bond issue-
Many Speak In Behalf Of Better Highways Etc.
The people Of Spotsylyania put them
selves on record Monday in favor of road
Improvement by "A vote of more than four
to one. Ii was the day OF the meeting Of
the board OF supervisors. and DR.. Massey
the chairman, had requested mass
meeting OF the people 10 assemble and
give its views on the road question.
A large crowd responded and with few
exceptions were heartily in favor of
prompt and vigorous action for the bet
torment OF the roads.
Those who attended had an excellent
object lesson in the roads they had To
travel over to reach the Court House.
State Highway Commissioner F. st. J.
Wilson came up from Richmond and
gave an interesting talk as 10 work be-
ing done in other sections of the State.
Messrs Henry Warden and Thomas n
Harris, Of fredericksburg, bothof whom
have given the question study, also
spoke.
The board convened at , o'clock,
President Massey and Messrs Waite and
Maddox in attendance Mr. r. H. PEN
dletOn, the fourth member, WAS absent
on account OF sickness
Routine work was laid aside aud Capt
NJ. b. Rowe, for himself aud other land
owners along the Plank road, asked for
an appropriation II one thousand dol
lars for the permanent Improvement of
~ miles of that road extending from
Salem church to the Corporation line at
fredericksburg Capt. kowestated that
he aud his associates had subscribed
like amount and that he was convinced
a good road could be made for the two
thousand dollars and that aside from
the benefits a large proportion Of the
people OF the cOudty would receive in the
betterment of the road, il would be- an
actual demonstration OF what should be
done and the cost of doing it, Mr.. Lee
j. Graves and Mr. W. A. McWhirt sec.
onded Capt Rowes proposition.
Discussion followed. The special road
road law of the county WAS read and
seemed to bar the way 10 AN appropria
ton despite the statement of Mr. Graves
that the action would be- legal Capt
Rowe said had consulted judge Embrey.
whose opinion c0incided with that OF
Mr. Graves A majority nj the hoard
differed with the legal lights and frankly
stated that a. they construed the law
they We're compelled to vote against the
proposition.
At this juncture they adjourned for
dinner and on reassembing voted TO
postpone final action until the next
meeting. Capt. Rowe in the meantime
assured them that he would not consider
the appropriation as made II future ex-
animation proved 10 Illegal IL il sup
posed that the board will ask Judge
Mason for AN o. inion in the matter
THE NAss-NEEriND.
Dr. Massey presided over the mass
meeting and introduced Mr. Wilson who
spoke Tor hall an hour, cOulining him
self % the question OF rOadbullding
as done in other States, and the progress
made in Virginia since the creation OF the
office Of Highway Commissioner last July.
Most of the work reported in this State
was in counties using cOnyiCts. Results
had been very gratifying, so much 30 that
there were more applications Ilr this
labor than his department could I'LL.
He said that the Federal Government
from carefully compiled data gathered
from every State OF the Union estimated
that il cost from - 10 10 cents per ton
per mile to haul over muddy roads. Thu
cost for same over hard road was
but : to 10 cents per mile. The difference
between the two was the Mud Tax.
In reply to questions Mr.. Wilson F.
said be could not make an estimate Of the |
cost of roads in the county, but advised /
that Spotsylvania avail herself OF the I
States proiiered aid in building perma- |
nent roads. To DR.. Massey be said that |
under the present system the county
could not obtain aid
Mr. Warden followed. He is an advo- /
cate of macadam road and a bond I
issue Of one hundred thousand dollars 10 /
do the work. His arguments along this /
line are well known aud have been re- /
peatedly made and published in the past. /
Mr. Thos ii. Harris, who has been /
one Ci the most persistent good road agi- /
tatoTs during the past year and whose /
plans have been. heretofore. published in \
this paper, gave his views as TO
what was necessary. He has been con-
Quoting postal card interview with the
people Of the county for some time, and
said the result was hearty responses
from 50 per cent OF the people in favor
of permanent road improvement, and
that in this number We're the people who
pay 60 perez OF the taxes Of the county.
Mr.. r. l.. BiscOe said that upon the
showing made by Mr.. Harris he thought
it was time 10 take some action, and
moved chat it is the sense OF this meet
ing that the county be bonded for perma-
nent road improvement and that the
board OF supervisors be requested to take
the necessary steps to carry out the
wishes OF this meeting" The vote was
50 TO Is, followed by applause
The bond issue seems to be growing in
favor az evidence by the applause given
every utterance in favor OF il.