The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-02
TO SEEK FEDERAL
AID FOR Highways
Representatives of % Counties
viii Send Delegation to
Washington.
ROADS ARE IN BAD SHAPE
Military Necessity of Early I'm
provements Will Be Urged
Vigorously as Result
of Meeting.
ROADS ARE IN BAD SHAPE

In an effort to secure federal aid
in the building and maintenance OF
highways through the counties pc
tween Washington and Richmond
Richmond. Petersburg and Norfolk,
and Richmond. Newport News ana
Old Point, two hundred delegates
from the twenty-five counties along
these routes met in the hall of the
house of delegates this morning. after
having been called together by the
Virginia council of defense.
George p Coleman, state highway
commissioner was named chairman,
and Charles r. Kelley, secretary OF
the council of defense. was appointed
secretary of the meeting.
The following resolution was pass
ed
whereas. the public highways OF
Virginia leading to the various can
tonments and other war activities
have been done such serious damage
bv the United States government as
to make them practically impossible,
and
Whereas. these roads cannot be
kept IN passable condition with the
limited funds locally available. there
fore be Il
Resolved. That from the delegates
attending this conference the chair
man shall name a committee, TO con-
sjst of one representative from sacn
! city and one from each county rep
| resented at this meeting. and rep
resenta tive each from the virginia
division. T. r. A, from the Rotary
clubs. from the Virginia Good ROADS
association and from the Rural I'M
provement league. who are hereby IN
/ structed TO secure the cooperation or
! a
tives in congress to the end that a
conference with the war departme emit
NAV be held at which time the mil
! itarv necessity OF the reconstruction
of the Virginia highways, particularly
those between washington and Rich
nnond: Richmond. Petersburg and
Norfolk, and Richmond, Newport
News and Old Point be impressed
upon the war office, and to take such
further steps as may be deemed ex-
pedient."
A second resolution was passed
recommending that the government
undertake to construct a national sys-
ten, of highways and a definite policy
OF construction.
| Governor Westmoreland Davis
opened the meeting with an address
OF welcome. vocing his hearty APP
prevail of the idea of having the fed
eral government construct state roads
land pointing out that the present con-
dition of the roads and their necessity
10 the federal truck movement pre-
scented an excellent opportunity to
press this question.
i Following Governor Davis, Highway
Commissioner Coleman spoke at length
regarding the condition of the high
, ways along the routes mentioned, anc
said that the roads are rapidly as
Stunning the condition OF piougheo
fields
Major Rihhle, representing Colone
. Ferguson. OF Old Point, addressed ths
meeting after lunch. setting forth the
, plans of the government for train
ing army chauffeurs to operate motor
artillery. He said that the training
school at Fort Monroe had been in
creased from 100 month to more
than a thousand a month, and tina
, the men had TO use the roads in thei'
I work. He further pledged that hi
, men would haul gravel, sand. oyster
, shells or anything else to help built
r roads, provided it did not interfere
, with their studies. which had to az
. on The aid of these men would b'
! very considerable IL road construc
. ton were to be begun in that vicinity
Judge Garnett pointed out that 1
, the state were asking for federal ait
for state roads one course woult
! necessarily have to be Pursued. whil'
: If they were recommending that GER
: tain road building be done in Virgins
merely as a unit of national plan
/ another, mode of procedure was neces
( sary Mr. Kelley replied to Mr.. Gar
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