Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-03-24
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT
SPREADING

| SPREADING
The Good Roads movement is swing
ing along. Tazewell county is dis
cussing proposition of issuing
S625, 900 of bonds for system of stone
highways that will touch all parts of
the county and big meeting was
held in Bedford City Saturday night
to discuss proposition for bonding
Bedford county for similar purpose.
There seems but little doubt that the
Tazewell bond issue will 60 through.
The country has been struggling along
for years with roads that have been
little better than trails through the
mud and the people are tired of them.
In Bedford there seems to be some op-
position to bonding the county but it
is reported that this opposition is by
no means general. In fact it is not so
much against the principle of issuing
the bonds but because of some doubt
as to the amount of the bonds to be is
sued. Speakers at the meeting Satur-
day said that the proposition was
doomed to certain defeat unless the
issue was made large enough to build
roads roads that would reach every
section of the county. At least $50
miles of macadam, it was suggested
would be the least that would satisfy
the people, for with that amount,
every magisterlal district would get
share of the Improvements. The low
est amount of bonds suggested was
100000 and amounts ranging up tu
500, 900 were mentioned.
The question there has resolved it.
self into pure business proposition,
that is, whether it is wise to borrow
money to develop resources, secure
Greater comforts, increase property
values and increase incomes. The
L nchburg News discusses the gen.
eral road issue from that viewpoint.
"Is it WISE" it asks sto use the as
set OF public credit in order to realize
upon a county's potentiality to in
crease taxable values-to make it a
weather. county-to promote it's ma
terlal and educational progress, to re-
lieve against the money cost and loss
OF time incident to bad highways? If
not what's the value of public credit?
the use of having il at all, if it
is to, be a dormant, unproducJiveI
quantity, serving no good purpose
answering no pressing public need?
Credit OF this sort, like money, ought
% be put to work. 1t ought to earn
dividends. 1t ought to be employed
n needed public Improvements
n no way can it be used to wiser or
more sensible ends than in increasing
md perfectlng road facilities-a con-
lltlon which benefits every interest
md every farmer, every school, every
'hurch, every town and hamlet in
he county"
This is the situation as it applies to
augusta county. Are good roads
God business proposition, will they
Increase values, will they promote
Material and educational progress, will -,
hey increase neighborliness by bring
ng the people closer together; will
hey save money by saving time, wear >
nd tear on teams, harness and We
Icles? If so, why not put the coun-
US credit to work. No county in the
late has better credit than Augusta,
o county can float bonds at a lower
lterest rate, and many not so low.
10 county can build good roads any y
lore cheaply than can Augusta and Il
county is in better shape to finance 8
lelr building. Many a man in the
'unty has put a mortgage on his :,
nm in order to erect necessary build Ii
lgs and make other Improvements l.
ID has found that when he has built II
Id improved wisely, that the savings u
lat have been effected because of the II
nprovements have more than paid Il
terest charges and pr ovided for the
'incipal, as we'll as making the place G
r more valuable than it was before Il
The same rule applies to the county. 81 81
ct it utilize its credit borrow suffi- IL
ent to build a comprehensive system u
hard roads and it will find values I"
mping at once, and the people will Gu
We in many ways more than enough
pay interest and principal. And tt
re people are seeing this. The oppo- to
lion that sprung up when the bond 81
sue was first proposed is rapidly dy- ii
e out. A million dollars for roads th
oked like such big proposition that th
lot OF people were frightened. They th
e getting over their fright and are 81
eng that what would be big thing fri
q small, tax and debt burdened th
unity is not big thing for county fl
solid as Augusta. The petitions to ST
9 Board Of Supervisors calling for a th
te on the bonding matter are being ~
~