The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-14
.HENR|CO TO VOTE
ON NEW ROAD PLAN
'Throcklnorton Law to Be Refer
rcd to People in No
venber.
WOULD CREATE ROAD BOARD
Supervisors Would Be Relieved.
Patron Favors Reduction
OF County Levy.

In addition to voting for Congress-
man and on the proposed amendments
to the state Constitution next NoNetn.
Der, the voters of Henrico county viii
be called or to pass upon the roau
board plan. as proposed In the BIN
which recently passed the Legislature.
This measure was introduced by MT.
Throckmorton. AS ii passed the House
It decreed complete change in me
management of road construction ana
Improvement, but through the inilu-
cnce of Senator Wickham 1t was
amended in the Senate SO as to allow
the people of the county to pass upon
the proposition at the polls, MI,
Throckmorton agreeing. The ballots
will read For road board ana
against road board Separate bal
lot boxes will be provided.
Should the Throckmorton proposition
be adopted 1t will thereafter be the
duty of the Judge of the Circuit Court,
the clerk of the Circuit Court, the at
torney for the Commonwealth and the
county surveyor to constitute boa .,s
which shall appoint Il member of the
road board from each magistcrlaI dis
trict. These four men are TO have
charge of all road matters In the coun-
~. such as the grading and opening or
new roads and the temporary or per-
manent Improvement of all highways.
There is TO be a general county road
superintendent TO attend TO the prac-
tlCal details.
Would Relieve Supervisors.
; Mr.. Throckmorton said yesterday that
he does not know that he Will make an
active canvass for the adoption of the
new plan, but that lie thinks II should
be carried. There has been opposition
to the present plan. he says, for
number of years. and he does not be-
lieved the supervisors should be bur-
dened with working the roads.
AS the road question is of much
f,.,, IL Mr.
visor. says Mr.. Throckmorton, is
Judged by his capabilities along that
line
Il think the road question:" he says.
the Board of Supervisors, as the school
question now Is The supervisors
make the levy and raise the funds.
The schools are not managed by them,
but are run independently by trus-
tees, and | think the roads should be
handled in the same way. Then the
voter would select a supervisor because
OF his business capacity, and the best
men could be secured for these posi-
tions. The road commission. ON the
other hand, would he appointed with
especial care to select men familiar
with road building, and in this way we
would have better work done on our
roads.
.'Another advantage TO be derived
from this method would be in hayinG
tho board of supervisors to check up
Y
AS 1t is now. the supervisors make
the levy for roads and spend the
money, and nobody is over them to see
whether they are extravagant in their
of the books of the clerks office shows
that during the year ending October l.
1908, the supervisors of the county
spent S32.S00,66 on the roads. and dur
they spent s34,3T0,9S, making nearly
$4,000 in two years. do not claim
to be road expert. but 1t does seem
to me that we might have gotten more
for the money than We did.
Apparent Large Surplus.
An examination of the treasurer's
books shows that on October l. 1905,
there was in the treasurers hands to
s25.7O6ol; to the credit OF the county
school fund, s621.S9; to the credit of
the Brookland District school fund,
S672.47; to the credit of the Tuckahoe
District school fund. s12,S97.5S; to the
credit of the district road fund.
s7,9o6.oS: to the credit of the Fairfield
school fund s2.713.66; TO the credit
Of the Varina school fund, s2.3S9,o5,
and to the credit of the dog tax,
S555.74
the treasu ,raS hands to the credit Of Of
the county levy. s26,S3517; to the
S r DIT o Of the =, county school fund.
school fund s1.7Os.91 the Tuckahoe
road fund. s12,7s2,s3. There was
deficit in the Fairfield school fund of
credit of the county school fund.
the dog tax fund. $496,1S The treas
urer's books further show that the
county levy for the last year was
$55.17S.o1; for the county schools. s15,-
22S.71. for the Brookand schools. s15.-
| SS7:6I; for the yTuckahoe schools,
| s4,916.S0; for the Fairfield schools,
| s9i53.SSi for the Varina schools SIP
otS23, and for district roads. S.
| 45964.
Il have not had time to digest these
| figures, but it is plain that there was
IN the county treasury to the credit
| of the county levy over $4,000 during
the year ending October i, 1903 Now
1t does not seem to me that that was
! good business to have that much
| money In the treasury.
| I'VE owe some thirty-odd thousand
dollars, 1 understand. In bonds for the
erection of our new jail and 1t seems
| to me that it would have been good
business to have taken this money and
retired these bonds and save the in
care to do that they might have re-
duced the county levy nearly SO per
| cent, as the amount on hand during
: the year was hearty one-half of the
total county levy for that year. Again
we see that they had nearly $4,000 for
| district road purposes after having
spent over $4,000 on the roads. l be-
lieve that proper road board woulo
nave seen that the money which was
raised for road purposes was spent in
the proper construction of roads ana
not left in the hands of the treasurer.
Might Reduce Levy.
| II shall later on get additional in
formation from the clerks office and
tho treasurers office concerning the
financial condition of the county. with
especial reference to the working OF
the roads, and give 1t to the papers, so
! that the people may be apprised Of the
| true condition.
| n am not now In possession of suffi-
| Client facts to give II more detailed
statement, AS our Board of Super
visors will meet on, April . to deter
I mine the county levy for this year /
think 1t wise to call attention to the
amount OF money in-the hands of the
I treasurer, SO that the people may see
| to it that the rate of taxation is re.
/ duced as the increase in taxable values