Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-11

her sister States will sooner or later
be compelled to adop: this suggestion.
but II Is sufficient at preScnt.to point
out that under section 1874 of tho Con-
st!tution the State cannot al this time
ISSUE bonds for such purposes. Your
committee. however. believes that tho
! State should be placed in position
where she can Issue such bonds. il /:
be deemed necessary, and we, there
fore. recommend that machinery be set
In motion during the present session of
the General Assembly to so amend the
Constitution as to permit the Issuance
or State bonds for permanent construc-
ton OF roads now or hereafter en-
braced in the state Highway System"
Since tho question of Il bond issue
for the present is disposed of by the
terms of the Constitution the question
at once arises as to what appropria-
ton it will be necessary to make in
order to begin the construction of the
system recommended The General AS
sembly, OF 1915 appropriated $4,000
per annum for the fiscal years 19lG-1T
and 19lI-iS for State money aid TO
public roads, and the same amount for
each OF the two fiscal years Cor support
OF the convict road force. In addition
to this there was also appropriated for
the fiscal year 1861 the sum OF
$4,000 for maintenance OF tho State
year l9l7-1S $4,000 for tho same de-
partnient. There were no other d.
rect appropriations made. but under
the provisions OF an act approved
March -. 1915, Acts of 1916. page $40
tsection 23) the automobile fees, after
deduction OF certain expenses OF COL
lection. were constituted n special fund
for the maintenance OF roads and
bridges constructed with State aid and
county and maEsterial district bond
issues OF this State. under the direction
or tho State Highway Commissioners"
This latter fund increased from np-
proximately $4,000 in 1915 to ap-
rroXimately 100000 in 1917, and should
be sufficient each year hereafter to
maintain the roads embraced within
tho proposed system and perhaps in
addition to that portion OF the State
aid roads We recommend that the
first charge on the said automobile
fund he the maintenance Of THE state
Highway System" and any balance DC
used for maintenance of State aid
roads, already or hereafter constructed,
In accordance with the provisions OF
the state aid" law. under which the
counties are required to put up dollar
for dollar.
MUST TAKE CARE OF
ROADS ONCE nUILT
Your COMMITTEES is of the opinion
that this fund should be devoted eN-
clusively to road maintenance, since
without an assured maintenance fund
il is folly TO build roads. as expert
cncc has conclusivcly demonstrated. Ii
tho money derived from, this source
should at any time in the future eX-
coed the amount necessary for main
tenance purposes, which is improbable,
since the increase OF construction will
most likely keep pace with the in
crease in the fund, then we believe
any balance should be used in the
state highway System" construction
| work. Assuming that the maintenance
OF tho roads as provided for by the
automobile fund Is taken care OF. we
need only concern ourselves with the
problem of construction.
There will be available from! the Fed
eral government Virginia's quota OF
the Fcderal-a!d road fund the sum
or 100000 for tho year beginning July
!. 1918. and the sum Of 100000 for
the year beginning July !, 1919: pro-
! Vidcd. OF course, this State complies
with the conditions OF the Federal bill
your committee recommends that this
entire amount he expended under the
direction OF the Highway Com nj sscnor
on the proposed state highway sys-
tenn and that 1t be supplemented by
n like amount from the State, which
the State must provide In order 10 Sc
cure the Federal appropriations
The Federal-aid road act makes no
tprovis!on for the preparation or pre-
iininary surveys. estimates, plans and
specifications, nor does il mako rro