The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-01

J Richmond. Va. Feb. es. 1915.
hart, Bill No. 325. as was partly in-
strumental in drafting same. Fur
ther. the suggestions that the bill does
not sufficiently cover the ground have,
however, been practically met by
amendments First, word In expla-
nation of Senator Rineharts bill. This
bill had It's origin In a special meet
ing of the Rural Road Improvement
League. which was held in the JET
ferson Hotel about the middle OF jan
uary, which was attended by num-
Der of legislators and private citizens
interested in securing some derfnlte
plan or system by which some OF the
highways would be completed. and IT
was decided that, inasmuch as the Old
Point to White Sulphur route was
very important one and had received
only spasmodic attention while the
various routes north and south had
received more attention, to lend par
ticular support TO the completion first
Of sea to the mountains high way.
Therefore, the present bill. No 32b.
was prepared by Mr.. j. Sheppard
Potts president of the league. and my
self. and was presented by Senator
Rinehart. We know the bill ia not
all that is desired, but will serve as
an entering wedge. Further. while
this bill would establish one definite
cross-State route with some intersect-
ing routes. 1t was not intended that
the appropriation, or rather segrega-
ton. of 81 2,500 OF the automobile
license tax money would construct
these routes, but rather afford tenn
porary relief to now practically i'm
k4 vxrSn4
instance, the route from Old Point
to White Sulphur. While by far the
larger portion OF this entire route is
servtceablo the entire year. there are
short sections absolutely impossible at
times during the winter, and no chain
Is stronger than it's weakes. link. There
are short sections to my personal
knowledge In New Kent. Hanover,
Louisa and Albemarle counties that
are impossible, and with the aid of
5000 per mile from the State and a
like amount from the counties. they
can be temporarily placed In service
able condition so as to meet the re-
quirements until these sections can be
permanently built, which is not likely
TO occur for several years, ae these
bad sections are invariably In the
sparsely settled sections where bond |
issues would hardly prevail at pres
ent Now who would get the greatest
benefit of the improvement in such To-
calities7 Some may say the adjacent
property owners. say no, but rather
the State at large, the cities and towns
and hotel keepers. Why. then. should
not the state take immediate steps
10 bridge these gaps. Senator Rfne-
hart's bill would never have been re-
ported out Of the committee IL the
appropriation feature had been
retained. With the bill amended by
striking out the appropriation 90 ynd
by providing that the Highway Com
missioner would have charge OF the
work {for which no appropriation is
provided), which amendment wac
added by the league and providing
that the nature of the bill was for tenn
porary relief. II has been favorably
reported, and is now on the calendar. |
What q great triumph, Let me say |
RICH here that the State Highway |
Commissioner Is in no way RESPONSE |
BILE for the unfinished routes. He has
to confine his efforts to those locaii- |
ties that are ready with the money. |
which only the more strongly en-
phasizes the fact that complete sys-
tern of through highways should be
adopted and then their completion |
orougn ABOUT syStemauCaIiy ana WITH
all the dispatch possible.
/ woud here like to invite the at |
tention of every member OF our Leg |
isiature to the editorial appearing In /
the Richmond Evening Journa! of
February IS, appropo OF the warm !
ing published prominently In Wash |
ington newspapers against attempting
to drive by automobile to Richmond.
What lovely advertisement for our
Statet 1t would be better for the
Legislature to segregate half OF the
automobile license tax for this year
and remedy these matters Immediate
Nv than to suffer such advertisement. |
Here In a through route reaching right
from the portals of the seat OF the
Federal Government through our
State. which Is not only passable. but
reasonably good all the way to the
North Carolina line and built at con-
siderable expense In the last few years.
All but about twelve or fifteen miles
north Of Fredericksburg. In all seri-
BUSINESS and with no desire to reflect
on any one. such condition ia a dis
grace to the State. House hill 121
segregates to road maintenance Gas It
properly should) the money derived
from automobile license taxes, which
will amount this year to approximate
~ s25o.O00. There are at present APP
proximately 1,12o miles Of macadnm.
585 miles OF gravel, and 1855 miles
OF soil and sAndclay roads entitled to
the benefit OF this maintenance fund