Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-16
URGE TRUNK ROADS
Be IMPROVED FIRST
Proposed System Under Hot Fire
at Hearing Before State
Highway Commission.
OPPOSE SCATTERING FUNDS
Delegations, Led by Henry Rob
erts, Favor Concentration
Of Sill, 100000 Fund.

Representatives. OF many sections Of
Virginia. who appeared before the re-
Gently organized State Highway Com
mission yesterday At its first formal
meeting, bent on securing money from
the 81 900. 600 highway fund for the i'm
provcnent of roads in their communi-
ties. made scant progress because of a n
insurCcnt movement aimed at conccn-
tratinE instead OF scattering the ap-
propr!ation for road work. The hear
ing was held in the Senate chamber in
tho Capitol. II was attended by fully
100 advocates Of good roads.
Bristol, and John Wood. OF Roanokc.
set on foot carly in the hearing tho
1'fch, fo2 IN. cx, 70 SpSmd @ @ yns money aya'abic
the main trunk lines of the State in
s,ead s,ead Of approoIpriating I, for work in
places where thc big routes would not
he Joined up and the syH,cm or trans-
state roads furthcrcd The Eobcrts-
speakers
Fn,ors Plugging Gaps,
In a speech. MIR Roberts declared
that II WAS aucstipn OF plugging tho
The, state the advantages of Stale
mSney over snSs mos, OF the 5e"iiornF '6f o
the state in isolated sections. The
Iii9SH,i9n 9!o,,na Of iugds prSpos::ed by GGorsc
tion instead OF concentrated application,
Final action in the ALLEGATION o: both
nc funds and the routes rests with
routes outlined bv Mr. Coleman, the
comm isson must recommend the
changes to the Governor and have him
present them 20 tho General Assembly
for. final action. ALLEGATION OF routes
will occupy the attention OF the com
on Wednesday,.
AIIocution !, Con.idercd.
ALLEGATION Of funds Tor road building
occupied the fun attention OF the con-
Use Of these funds in The manner rec
ommendcd hy Mr.. Coleman vas. re-
tell Why the appropriation SET by Com
missioner Coleman for their communi-
,ses should be larser Others addressed
funds tentatively provided for other
sections should be reduced or partially
o. wholly diverted for use in their
Appropria, a,ions; which will be made
Two '!s ts'I ie2S % and sal 'nT b "erH ,ot
available from the Commonwealth aud
the Federal government is nearly sll.-
100000; When the General Assembly
meets in January. it is expected TO ap-
proDriate SS13,l5o in addition TO the
money set aside al the special ses-
sion. This appropriation Will be fol-
lowed by the same amount from the
aaee with the lSederai ''y,n road loan itsor4 aet.
Two Routes Proposed.
Discussion OF the Improvement OF
she State highway system vii! occupy
tho attention OF the commission to-
day. Although there are twcnty-slx
routes outlined By Comm issioncr Cole
man, interest Is expected 10 center on
the Richmond Washington Highway
and the Trans State Highway from Nir-
Cumberland Gap, in Lee County.
Two routes are proposed from Rich
mond TO FREDERIC !cksours. the Telegraph
Road and the Negro Foot -Childcsburg
route The Telegraph Road goes
through Ashland and citizens Of the
Hanover town will bc on hand to SET
lorth the advantages OF the route II
is claimed for it that the roadbed is
IN better condition for Improvement
curg Road.
Favor Lorton Route.
From Fredericksburg TO Washjnrton
there are also two routes-the Oc-
ee3Guan- Lo:to -Accotink Road and the
president of the board OF commission
ers OF the District OF Columbia, and
Inafiss IN. bisr, e F2ster; 20 saperintendent OF
pear today to lay before the commits
sioners the advantages of the Deco
guam -Lorton Accotink way Accordjnr
TO their statements. the route which
they favor is slightly longer than the
Woodbridge route. but the roadbcd is
cOtN.i NouuiN!Ou tne necessity
or building highway through swamp
country at great expense would be eli
minated.
Because the Woodbridge route runs
through Camp Humphreys, where a
Sovernment rife range Is located, ad-
focates or the Occoquan -Lorton-A
cotlnk route declare that 1t would he
necessary 70 remove the rife range.
IN order that rifle practice may be
] ]..s,u, tne Woodhridgc Road is now
S-oSe" at certain hours of the day