The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-19

the residents of that community.
Disclainling in emphatic terms any
desire TO minimize the importance
of engineering skill in ad-bu1lding or
TO pass criticism on the State Highway
Commission he said that he felt 1t
his duty TO say he believed that too
much of the work Of road-buiiding
in counties was. done by young engi-
neers who were frequently not very
experienced, and that much of the
work Of carrying out the details of
plans which were properly drawn by
engineers, could be done by the people
of the communities in which the roads
were to be built.
This work should be delegated to
those in the communities in which 1t
is to be done who are capable OF var.
rying it out. There are few commu-
mites which do not have people who
are COMPETENT to work out the prac-
teal end of the plans after they are
made by experienced engineers. There
is too much loading down of a smalk
enterprise with professionalism.
- Need Fewer Engineers.
He said that after the aid OF en-
gineers had been secured in drawing
plans for road Improvement there
should be some dead line where the
community itself should be allowed
u eO 4tCG1 NAtAA tNtS - -
Improvement a fact,
After we get the engineers we want
to stop paying for them. ne SAID
amid stormy applause.
He said that he saw by the great
number of delegates present that IN
terest in road-building has increased
four times in this State. The time
was gone, he said, when the value OF
good roads was not appreciated
t> t9nnAlAnG RI nn1nf
out the advantages of road improve
naent, Roads were the means oy
which people were permitted to No.
semble for religious. economic ana
educational purposes, and az sucn
we're thoroughfares to CIVILIZATION. ne
extended a warm welcome to all OF
the delegates. He said that any clu-
zen OF the State was always "elcoaiS
at the capital city. x.
we're cornprehensively set forth IN an
entertaining and instructive way oy
Secretary D NJ. Blankenship' OF the
Farmers Educational and Co opera
tive Association OF Virginia. ana Al
tba afternoon session State Highway
connaissfoner Coleman, in an tnstruc-
tive address, put before the conVen-
ton what the State needs in the way
of Road Legislation" and discussed
interestingly his recommendation
along that line.
Road Legislation
Speaking on the subject OF noao
LEGISLATION" at the afternoon sess4on
Yesterday, state Highway Commls-
stnner George p. Coleman said:
II realize that there Is nothing SO
Assv as finding fault and tearing 70
niaces the work of other people. This
IL particularly true of road work since
every man thinks that he is a porn
road builder. it makes very little oif-
ference whether he has been failure
IN everything else or not. and, thar II
only he had charge OF the road work
OF the State. or Of his county. 1t would
be managed very much more econoni-
cally and satisfactorily
"On one point, however. we are al
agreed--that we need improved ROADS
to develop the resources OF our state
and TO keep abreast of the times ana
up with the movements or the otnef
States of the Union.
we also realize that the main
tenance Of the roads, after construc-
ton. is really OF more Importance TO
lis than the construction itself. The
department which l have the honor
to represent has recommended IN
every one OF its reports since its Or
ganizntion, ten years ago. maintenance
OF roads. In the last two years, the
department has been particularly ac-
tive in bringing to the notice OF the
citizens of the state this very I'M
portant question, through its reports
and through the courtesy OF the news
papers.
|, New Laws Suggested.
with this in mind, the department
~x@s- 76y~AA ~
existing laws and new laws covering
this important question. since we be-
lteve that the men who have had
charge OF the road work Of the State
during the past ten years. are more
closely in touch with the situation than
any one else. and therefore BEST fitted
to offer these suggestions:
~. We have an amendment to the
General Road Law, giving the High
way Commissioner and the Board OF
Supervisor, IL they see 1T, the right
to properly grade ana drain roads or
such sections thereof a. they may
deem necessary or TO improve the
road 10 meet It's traffic conditions.
This will give both the county and
the state more latitude in the selec-
ton OF the roads to be improved. and
will enable a county to take the worst
sections of It's roads and reconstruct
them.
":. An amendment to the State
Highway Law and the General Road
Law Of tho State. giving the Board OF
Supervisors in their county work and
the State Highway Commissioner its
State work the right Of eminent do
main This IS Intended to prevsnt
unnecessary delays and expense IN ac-
lquiring right of way. which occurs
under the present law, while at the
same time it gives the property owner
a full opportunity to prove and coll
lect damages, This is a question Of
great economic Importance, for the
State and the counties have been Sc
riously handicapped in road construc-
ton, in many instances delays of
months have occurred: occasionally
even of years, and frequently the
counties have been compelled TO adopt
improper locations because it was i'm
possible to acquire the right
necessary for the proper location OF
their roads. In this way the citizens
OF the counties have been put to great
inconvenience and expense. AT the
present time this right is granted to
railroad companies and other public
service corpora tons. and should, In
our Judgment. be extended to include