Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-09
WASHINGTON HIGHWAY IS
MADE THROUGH POST ROAD
Action of Postmaster-General Opens
Way to Spending Federal Funds
on Improvement.
BUILD REAL ROAD OVER SWAMI
Estimated That Completion of Good
Highway Between Washington and
Richmond Would Add SO, 900 Tour
lists Each Year to Each City.

lists Each Ycar to Each City.
Designation of the Washington
Richmond highway as 4 through post
road is news from PostmaSter-Gen-
cral Burlcson. which will be received
with great acclaim by Richmond mo-
florists. once they realize what this
means in reference TO improving the
erratic artery of communication in the
Chappawamsic Swamp district of Vir-
ginia.
Under the provisions of the Federal
aid road act the Secretary of Ag-
riculture can only give assistance
through State highway department
TO roads over which the malls are now
carried or may be carried in the COM
paratively near future. This was the
measure on which the American Au-
tomobile Association and the American
Association OF State Highway officials
joined forces, and. in cooperation with
other bodies. finally brought about it's
passage.
MUST MEET UNUSUAL
SWAMP CONDITIONS
State Highway Commissioner George
+. Coleman. of Virginia and State
Highway Engineer Henry q. Shirley.
OF Maryland, are the president and
executive chairman. respectively of the
organization of the State highway Of
hcials. and naturally both Of them have
had great interest in the establish
mcnt of trunk line route connecting
their States with the North and tho
South. Mr.. Shirley some time ago clos
cd mp all the missing gaps in Mary
land. but the problem yet remained
for Mr.. Coleman to meet the unusual
conditions in Prince William County
for Virginia does not give very much
financial assistance to its counties, and
no State highway system is yet es-
tablished.
considerable sum had been raised
by the Richmond Washington Highway
Association, headed by Henry w. An
dcrson, of this city. but the swamp
remained impossible and 1t was into
this sort OF a situati that the A. A.
A. District OF Columbia Club entered
and which caused ii for some months
turn over to tho State Highway De-
partment of Virginia in order that the
swamp road might receive the crying
attention which 1t needed.
In finally convincing Fourth AS
sistant Postmaster General Blakslee
who is in charge of rural routes, that
the Washington Richmond Highway
should be made a through post road
Virginia will now he able to employ
portion of this States 1917 Federal
aid allotment along with the money
raised by the District of Columbia
Club and some other funds available,
in the building OF real road in Prince
William County. Executive Chairman
4. G. Batchelder of the A. A. a., thus
comments upon the improvement of
this missing link, which has diverted
so much road travel away from Rich
mond:
That the A. A. a. District of Co
fumbia Clubs lonE-continucd efforts to
establish a modern motor highway be-
tween Washington and Richmond are
to be crowned with success is a uni
vcrsal hope that now seems assured Of
realization.
WILL PROVIDE FUND
For PERMANENT ROAD
while our local clubs recent cam
paign for funds supplied enough money
to put n fairly travelable road through
the Chappawamsic Swamp-a work
which has been considerably delayed
by adverse weather conditions-enough
funds were not obtained 10 build
strictly first-class Highway, one that
would stand the test Of heavy traffic
and compare favorahly with the sec
tions Of the road extending from Wash
ington to Lort on, and from Fredcricks-
burg to Richmond. The money which
will. be made available by the high
way y uSSlB llOl siS ~ post
route will result in the securing Of
the necessary money for good roads,
According to statistics compiled by
the A A. a. touring bureau, the es-
tablishinG Of a real road between the
two capitals in normal times ought to
bring $4,000 additional motor tourists
between Washington and Richmond
each year.
Speaking Of the value OF good high
ways to the cities which they enter,
and of how the entcrprising munich
pality of to-day battles to win a
place ON a trunk road, Mr.. Batchclder
says:
Everywhere in the land to-day
cities and towns are struggling to get
on the route Of a big motor highway,
just as fifty years ago they fought to
obtain a place along the line of the
railroad. Both argument and money
are employed to coax good roads into
the midst OF community. the enter
prising citizen knowing full we'll that
the motor tourist follows the good
road. and that prosperity follows the
tourist
Il am quite sure that after the Ma
tional capitals merchants and hotel
keepers have experienced the benefits
that will surely come from the estab-
lishnent of a modern highway between
Washington and Richmond. they will
regret not having built the road years
ago"