Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-04
HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER
WANTS ROADS CARED FOR
maintenance After Construction Is
Prime Necessity, Says State
Official.
MUCH WORK DONE LAST YEAR
George p. Coleman, OF State Commits
sion, Describes Activities of His
Department - Endorses "G @ % Il
Roads" Movement Meetings.

George +. Coleman. State Highway
Commissioner, has prepared an inter
estinG resume OF the work done nv hi.
apartment within the pas; year. and
calls upon the people of VIrrIni, IN
consider the necessity of road n,ir,o
anc" carefully. The paper was mr..
parcd oS Commissioner Coleman for tho
cooperative Education Associntion -,
virginia. which is endcavorlnr To have
nc puolic schools and the school and
civic leagues In the State have n good
roads" day this month. I; SAYS in
part: "'
during the twelve months from Oc
tober i. 1913, to October /, 1915 RI.
state Highway Department worked In
u.nelS-siN or the 100 counties OF the
state. working on 400 different piccns
or road and ninety bridges. construc,
ing during that time $50 miles OF road
AT a cost OF sl.IS7,ol0. or this ,,oun,
the state contributed slS5, 600 direct
appropriation and $4,000 derived from
,ne automobile tax. these two funds
pelnE known as State money aid In
ADDITION TO this. the State appronriatnd
siha,ooo Tor the maintenance and SIM
port OF tn: convict road force Tho
remainder was raised by tho counties
ny direct levies or maglstcrial district
and county bond issues.
CONNECTS WORK NOW
~ ihfh1N COUNTIES
ne state is NJ tho present time
maintaining convict camps In thirty
counties. and is working in these
camps approximately 100 convict,
from the state pcnitcntiary and he
tween 500 and 600 prisoners from mo
county jails. mating a total from all
sources Of from 800 to roo nrisopcra
VINO are now. employed by the state
IN road work. The cost Of this conyic,
laDor to tho State per ten hour Wort,
ing day for the last year was approxi-
matcly - per cent, small advance
over last year
II would like to call 10 the particular
attention OF the citizens Of the state
the fact that during the last eight
years approximately $1,000. 900 has been
expended By the State and the conn.
Ties In road work, building about 1900
ihiics OF road and several hundred
bridges, but that no provision has bccn
made Tor the maintenance and care of
the roads or bridges after their CON
struction. as has been recommended by.
this department.
RECOMMENDS LEGISLATION
FOR ROAD MAINTE.N
IL mas been exceedingly Difficult, 10
impress on the local road authorities
Inc necessity for tho maintenance Of
the roads after they have been CON
Sirucicd. ] cannot urge too strongly
the Importance OF immediate legislation
requiring counties or districts to make
proper provision for the upkeeD OF
their roads for il Is certainly very
short sighted and very poor business
policy 10 cNpend large amounts OF
money in the Improvement and general
bcttcrmcnt of the roads and then allow
them To 70 TO pieces from lack Of
proper care.
II would urge that the matter OF the
necessary road maintenance legislation
be agftatcd by the citizens OF the va
rious counties OF the State. and that
tho members Of the new Assembly be
fMllN advised Of this nncnsSiir