The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-25
Lessons from Wise County, Va.
Economic Survey BY Office of Public Roads Shows Definite
and Estimable Results to Mountain County From
Building of Improved Highways.


vas begun in 1910 through the con-
s:ruction of as miles of macadam
road under the supervision Of the state
highway department, As was the
case in other counties the FIRST ex-
mpie of soo3-ro construction
.ervea as an object lesson and Great
Cd a strong sentiment for compre-
henssve road improvement through
out the county on November %.
felO a county bona issue of 100000
for grading and macadamizing llo
miles Of road vas carried by vote
e1Ss for the bonds to I76 against
hem unfortunately no preliminary
surveys or engineering advice were
obtained unou which to base the
rorrAm Of construction outlined in
he order cf election. and In conse-
nucnce 4 was found. after the bonds
had been voted ana surveys for actual
construction made, that the routes
set forth in The order OF election
aggregated 125 miles instead OF ITO
miles and that the cost OF grading
nd maradamiziag this mica e would
amount to more than 81 00o 900 in
,tead OF .he 5000 zoo which the peo-
lie had voted This naturally caused
some dissatisfaction and required
hangg in policy IT was, therefore.
arlded to Grade tie whole mileage
md build permanent drainage struc-
tures utilizing what was left OF the
.ond ISSUE to maotdamize the most
important roads.
Follow the first bond issue. two
= the districts GlAdesville and Rich
nond. voted $3.50. 900 each in or
Ter 30 lnacadamize the. roads which
E.,ty four
additional miles
Tho acaucnie conditions in Wise
eountt are rather exceptional as tho
A5ef .oduS:ry U.s. coal mining, and
ne mineral lands coal and iron, con
s-itNte about half Of the assessed
valuation 81 the county. There are
thirtv-four coal-mlning plants. en-
saoyipr in The aggregate about 5000
Iaer, Agriculture is not extensively
tractICed and the products which
are primo ipailv corn. oats. hay, pota-
oes. and sorghum cane. are small In
volume. Some orchard fruits are
produced and dairying and poultry
raising are engaged in on small
scale The county fs we'll supplied
with railroads. and as its principal
Soatput n from the mines compare
t.ivel% little tonnage Ia hauled over
ahe public roads The county. which
2,as an area 81 420 square miles is
%as4te mountainous and the soil Is
a M productive. except at the bottom
g.e tn narrow valleys along the
s.treaus. This rough topography
tausee road construction to be very
frpeuslve Oh account OF heavy grad
sng Moreover. large portion o'
sthc suriacing material must be trans
81 orted by ran or hy long wagon haul
Pfhe mining interests are paying the
larger part Of the costs OF the road
system. and IN Judging OF the returns
10 the county from an economic
Standpoint it should be borne In mind
hat while the value OF the road sys
'em to agriculture is slight. the cor.
responding burden upon agricultural
property. by reason OF the help oil
he mining interests is also compare
lively light,
The economic studies in wise
rounty were made during the months
tt March, 1871, March. 1912, May
1918. May. 1914. and a short study in
October. 1915.
The issue OF county bonds dated
February !. 19li, brought premium
OF per cent while the two district
bond issues dated March /. 1918
were sold Mt par Thus the tota
amount realized from the bond issue1
was s974 600
All the bonds bear interest at tn,
rate OF per cont. and are issued fol
thirty years with options to retire a
the end OF twenty years The Law
provides that a lew of not TO exceed
20 cents on the hundred dollars shal
te assessed for the purpose Of payint
interest and creating sinking funt
20 retire the bonds The present tn,
FOR this purpose IL 45 cents for tht
roo, 600 county bond issue and u
and q cents respectively. for I'll,
district bonds in Richmond and
SladesViile districts
The board OF county. supervisor
jE authorized 20 create a sinking funC
and 20 apply any part or all 20 the
purchase of any OF the bonds at any
time. Tho county board Is further
authorized to lend upon real estate
security the loan not to exceed sc
per cent OF the assessed value OF such
real estate. or deposit in bank at in,
crest all accumulations OF money e
;he credit OF the sinking fund. NJ
sinking funds have been so invested
as II is difficult TO lend money or
real estate on so per cent assess
ment basis. and fer that reason the
board Of supervisors expect TO pur-
chase and retire the bonds as fast
as money accumulates in the sinking
market at a price which would he
advantageous to the county. This
method would be somewhat similar
20 the deferred serial method.
II must be borne in mind, however
that the holders OF the bonds might
up TO the twentieth year. refuse IA
surrender them, and would thus force
he sinking fund method upon the
county. This element Of uncertainty
Is the weakness Of the retirement
method as contrasted with a regular
deferred serial method.
ON the basis Of the 1918 assessment
81 $4,000. coo. the 100000 of county
bonds be paid OFF in twenty-five year.
fy an average tax rate OF 3s.7 cents
per hundred dollars to be devoted 70
payment Of interest and retiring Che
bonds annually. and the total amount
paid out would be about 1924, 500
II $4,000 of the bonds are purchase
at par each year after the nth year
instead OF establishing a sinking fund
Under the sinking fund plan, with
sinking fund bearing 3 per cent and
running twenty-five years the tota'
cost would he 81 354ass or an aver.
age OF s54. per annum for inter
est and retirement The total saving
t.xs .{..~x .,HF .