The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01
our surplu. and the Roads.

no the Editor of The Times Dispatch:
sir We see our Solons OF the l.cgis-
Iature have assembled in Richmond.
where the Finance Committee has been
in session for two weeks or more. pre-
suruably figuring oyer the distribution
of = surplus OF gone million Of dol
larz We hear talk oC increasing this
rnlary and other appropriations,
but little or no attention seems to be
given 10 good roads. some Years ago
Inc Legislature assembled after our
revenues had gained - surplus OF some
t3.oo0.oO0 under tho new Constitution.
aud the first thing they did was 10
doublc ,hoir own salaries They then
appropriated more OF the surplus to-
wards building norinol schools in DIFF
FOR my sec'ion and will
vote for your section style
when much money and the same good
might havn been accomplished in "a
central normal FOR the whole state, in
ftead of having three or fcur uniiuish-
cd schools, and with but little TO main
Nothing We thus spent all OF our
surplus and got $4,000 or $1,000 Then
went forth The Govcrncr's icttcra to
the circuit judges I" appoint asscssots
to write up the value OF real estate and
personals all over the state, ana III q
Zinc of profound peace taxes were in
creased nc-fourth all over tho state
end IN many Instances doubled, Il thing
before Unprecedented. Next a grand
JlrS dlaDrst wdE ldnnCnt0 Tor All III .
visible incomes. With these heroic "f-
forts fresh in the minds of tn" tnN-
payers, We have accumulated something
like q million surplus again. We want
10 know now if the Legislature" is go
ing to fool this awaH ana appropriate
nothing for road.. II the public roads
had onc-tcnth the effort spcut on them
that the public schools haNc. ~" would
hay" roads that tho chilJrcn could 20
10 school over; roaos that would in
duce outsiders to come ana locate in
oh -
son In a few counties. and really the
sapdclay roads In Ttdewater Virginia
ana maintained. have been "a revelation
10 the people. some Of the very worst
stretches NJ roads in Essex County. fcf
instance. which have always been mud
holes and axle dcep, arc now rs good
aS can b. found anywhere at the coast.
But II has only reached tho stage of an
object lesson: VIC want In" people cdu-
Gated UP 10 those improvements. II a
bond issue for good roads is proposed
The rank md Ne viii inimcdiateiy
jump ON Il. as IL they were fighting
fire. claiming 1t Is all FOR the Internal
automobiles, and in their ignorance fail
10 see that what is luxury for tho
Taxpayer. II Is almost inconcciVahlc
that inteiligcnt men can appropriate. as
Uncle Sam" is doing, hundreds OF mil
lions Of dollars for the Philippines
Che Panama Canal and hattlcships that
Indirectly benefit only a few, and no,
appropriate q tarthing Tor road build
ing that would benefit every mao. wu-
man and child in the United States
This IS not n sectional or a party ques-
ton In the United States or in Vir-
.;inia. IL Is a question in which every
ono is interested. high and low. rich
and poor, even from an Investment
standpoint. Is there any outlay or
public money that will come nearer
henciIting tho whole people than i'm
provemcnts OF roads or that viii more
enhance the value Of property and build
lip The country We know OF none
II our present Legislature will tnau-
ruratc.a plan ana back II with good
appropriation for modern road building
IT VIII have given an impetus TO a
cause that will immortalizc il in the
opinion OF tho people. u is IL cause
that IL just now in it's infancy Every
member has his own little pet ,nca4lrc
that he wants TO get through, and all
his thoughts and efforts arc centred
there. Why not rise above the mar
row plain OF Individual hobbies and
combine IS n whole or a cause that ali
agree on and by which the whole
people will he benefited? Our last Leg.
islaturc cost the state about SIS. 900.
and about all II accomplished that W.,
heard OF was q law TO stop the killing
OF robins and 10 remove the obstruc-
ton out OF the Pig River. wherever
that is Are they going TO fritter
away the time IN useless discussion this