The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-19

4
/ There has been, AS all OF you know
/ Il very general discussion In the news
/ papers for the past twelve months oil
: highway legislation and other road
questions, statements made pro an ]
/ con, statements which would leave
( you very much at X a as to the proper
status of affairs. unless you were
j familiar with all the questions and
/ conditions presented thereto. feel
, therefore, that since the success of the
work of the highway department de-
! Ponds in large measure ON your az
sistance and cooperation that you
the citizens of Virginia. should not
only have a general knowledge but
specific information of the plans OF
I highway construction and mainten-
anee with the possible attendant de-
velopments of the states resources.
To this task I have, as head of the
highway department of Virginia, set
myself.
The department, az many Of you
may know. was established in 1906,
and our work for a number OF years
was along educational lines. We had
yno definite policy or plans. our work
was in cooperating with private
individuals or counties in the cons
strucuon of unrelated sections of
road In this manner during the life
OF the department we have con-
structed approximately five thousand
miles OF road scattered through the
one hundred counties, the greater
part Of which are short sections and
unconnected As matter of fact
with this large mileage the citizens of
the state are not able to travel from
one section of the state TO another
over improved highways.
Our first effort was to have Virginia
to adopt a definite highway plan and
policy but before We could to this II
was necessary for us to go direct to
the people and TO give them full and
clear understanding of the plans
which we had in mind, This we tried
to do through addresses, bulletins and
newspapers. chiefly however. through
the latter. should like to state here
that we have always found the news
papers not only ready, but willing to
assist us in the work which we have
had in hand.
Therefore, FOR your full under
sta nding | believe it would be advis-
able for me 10 give you an outline OF
acts under which we are working,
HELP OF THE GOVERNMENT.
For a number or year8tI have been
impressed with the importance OF the
national government taking part in
highway construction. and with this
-
number OF highway departments of
the other states, requesting them to
meet in Atlanta, for the consideration
of this important question. realizing
that the eniy-waF that we could get
satisfactory legislation would be
through the cooperation of all of
those Interested This resulted in the
passage OF the Federal Aid Act in
July 1915
fyay Tor Spsf ~ "a
tai appropriation made to the states
of seventy-fiye millions of dollars.
This appropriation to cover period
OF FIVE years Virginia's apportion-
ment for this five year period was APP
proximately one million five hundred
thousand dollars 81 SOC 0o0}. on ac-
count OF the war very little of this APP
preparation was expended prior 10 this
| year.
On the signing of the Armistice in
November OF last year, the executive
committee of the American associa
tion of state highway officials, of
which ! am chairman, took up &C
lively the extension of the federal aid
| act, urging congress to materially In
crease the appropriations for highway
! construction. This resulted in amend
ments that became operative IN March
| of this year. Under these amend
| nlents there was made imm ediatelY
| available To the states fifty millions of
| dollars $3.50. 900, 000) and for the
/ fiscal year 1920, seventy thousand
I s7b .o00) dollars, and 1921 seventy
five thousand ts75.00o) dollars This
made, therefore, Immediately avail
| able in addition to previous federal
appropriations s99e 900, and on July
/ /. 1919, one million four hundred and
f@tgiit> eight Thousand slsasS sooe4s and
4 ON July /, 1920. one million four hun
bred and eighty-eight thousand tsl,-
| 4ss 000l or a total available under
| the original act and the amendments
| OF Ave million, four hundred and nifty
eight thousand dollars tsS ,oo0).
FIFTY FIFTY.
The original federal aid act pro-
vided that the state before II could
participate in the federal distribution.
shall have established a definite high
way policy and system. Anticipating
then the passage OF the federal act we
| recon mended to tho general assembly
Of 1919 the appointing of Legislative
, road committee, To he composed OF
three members of the senate, and four
! members of the house, together with
! the highway com missioner This
committee was appointed with Sena-
! tor Goolrick, OF fredericksburg, as
| chairman. and held large number
| Of meetings in various sections OF the
state in an effort TO get suggestions
! from all parts of the state as to the