The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-16

Grafton to another leaving crime and
! pauperism in their train. IL In re-
/ ported by competent authority thar
eighty per cent of our almshouse
population, sixty eight per cent of the
children who pass through the tu-
venile courts and are confined in the
industrial schools for boys and girls
and sixty per cent OF our Jail popu-
Iation, are feeble-minded. The time
( Is coming when feeble minded persons
I of the dependent class must be seq
regated and placed in colonies where
I they will be made self-supporting, and
where they cannot propagate their
kind. Glasses for backward children
should be established in the public
schools. Feeble minded jail prisoners
of both sexes should be committed to
farm colony. 1t Is said to be dem
onstrab1e that all adult feeble minded
people excepting idiots may be made
self-supporting. instead of being. as at
present. n drain on the public purse.
/ state Once Building.
1t would be a good investment to
add to public buildings now in USE
! or to erect a structure for the ac-
comm odation of those departments OF
government which occupy outside
| quarters at an annual rental of about
/ $4,000. The priceless books and
manuscripts in the state Library
should be preserved In flreI roof our
ters before 1t is forever too late Such
ventilation as will preserve the maps
and records in the attic of the Capitol
il necessity in the interest of his
tory,
Pensions.
As the number of our pensioners
grows smaller, we can increase the
individual payments without increased
I cost to the public treasury, and this
sacred duty must be always before
JUS.
Labor Laws.
Virginia s. laws for the protection
OF female and child labor are wisely
administered and are for the most
part effective. Experience will point
the way to such amendments as are
needed
Good Roads.
If our modern spirit Of good road
building is not to die. there must be
ample provision for maintenance.
Nothing In my opinion, will 70 surely
kill the cheerful consent to be taxed
to build highways as a policy that
permits the roads to deteriorate from
the moment of their completion.
ard which in a short time makes the
expenditure worthless, and limits the
life of the roads to a period shorter
than that of the bonds issued for their
construction.
] recommend amendments to our
present laws which will establish
more intimate relation between
| county and state authority. as to both
construction and maintenance of our
( public highways thus adding TO local
efficiency and providing needed elias
! ITCHY in sections where conditions cali
| for roads of minor Importance. vary
| ing in cost and methods of construc-
ton according to the uses for which
they are intended. and giving to local
Authority a larger control of the item
of State engineering expenses enter
ing into construction and maintenance
iof all work under the supervision or
1.-The state Highway Commission.
/ Tuhercuilin Testing.
| A gratifying increase in dairy
products liz shown by the report OF
the Dairy and Food Bureau. 1t should
/ he encouraged, and to this end
! strongiy urge an effort on the part of
State authorities to reach an agree
ment with city authorities as to rules
and regulations governing the sale OF
dairy products originating in Virginia.
I Under present local regulations 1t Is
found necessary to destroy a large
/ percentage of valuable dairy cows,
much to the encouragement of dairy
ling in Virginia. There should be no
difficulty in prescribing rules and
regulations applicable throughout the
state which would give ample pre-
lection to the consumer without re-
quiring the wholesale destruction of
cows There should be a statute
regulating the use Of the Babcock
milk test
Workmen's Compensation.
Taneat the recommendation
tanned in my inaugural address for
the adoption of a fair and reasonable
| workmens compensation act.
Public Accounts.
County and city officers handling