Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1919-01-18
livssrad Ian address on Health and
Godd Roads1 and' showed the:reIation

4 Good Roads, ands showed tne;reIatlol
of the one to the other.
| Jesse NJ. Jones of the State De
partment of Agriculture told of tn
Rural Motor Express. He declared i
wa: not coming 10 Virginia, it had al
/ ready come. He told how trucks op
Grated at fixed charge, had me
with success and now in many sec
tions of the State, were earring thu
farmers products to the city and re
turning with merchandise.
He declared that the trucks brought
the market to every mans door anf
made every mans door a shopping
point of greater value to him than a
railroad switch. The only obstacle ir
the way of the growth of its motor
truck express was the bad condition Of
the roads.
D. B. Ryland, Manager Lynch
burg Chamber OF Commerce, made
one of the strongest addresses made
before the convention, on Should the
State Tax for Construction of High
way System be Increased" He point
ed out how far behind Virginia was
in Road Construction compared to thu
various other states, and discussed
the great benefits Virginia would de-
rive from the Improvement of its
system Of roads. ;
Thursday morning P. st. John Will:
son, Chief Engineer of the U. S..
Bureau of Public Roads was repr'
sented by E. W. James, who gave a
very thoughtful address on Methods,
and Cost of Construction to withstand;
modern traffic"
The afternoon session was given
UP to business and election of officers.
The following resolutions were adopt
ed:
Recommending. in lieu nf present
taxes, "a levy Of one and half mills
levy be laid on all property subject
to State tax and an increase in the
tax of twenty cents (20l
per ratio horsepower, both to be used
in the construction and
maintenance Of the State highway
system.
Favoring the establishment of
national highway system to be con-
and maintained By the Fed
,ral gcvernlRen under the >superv!s-'
ion of a Federal commission.
Recommending the transfer Of the
issuance Of automobile licenses from
The Secretary of the Commonwealth
10 the State Highway Commissioner.
Recommending that laws lie enact
I'd regulating motor traffic in regard
to the speed to be allowed and the
loads to be carried.
Recommending that the Constitu-
t:cn of Virginia be changed SO as to
authorize the General Assembly to
issue bonds for the construction Of
reconstruction of the highways of
the State.
Favoring the enactment Of law
the load to be carried in
proportion to the width Of tires used.
Approving the efforts of the Post
Office Department in extending motor
parcel post routes.
Providing that the President and
Secretary Treasurer of the associa-
ton, the State Highway Commits
sioner and two citizens from each
congressional district to be constitu-
led committee TO press forward an
educational canvass before the people
and Legislature in favor Of the pro-
pbsed constitutional amendment.
! Indorsing joint resolution now
before Congress, which authorizes the
Secretary of War to transfer to the
Secretary of Agriculture certain war
material suitable for improvement
df highways.
Favoring the enactment of a law
special freight rates for materials
for road construction and mainte-
nance.
Asking that candidates for the
Legislature state their positions on
he question off the imposition of the
proposed mill and half road tax.
The constitution and bylaws OF
tbel association weer amended SO as
to divide the membership into c!as-
ses TO be named, resident, associate
and contributing: to add one vice
president; to increase the executive
committee TO two members from
each congressional district and to
rrovide for the election of the NOM
| mating committee by the conven-
tion."
The officers for the ensuing yea'
lare:jt