The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-14

every other progressive state in the
Union. A further decentralization of
the state government by the establish
ment of an uncontrolled ana 1ndepen-
dent highway department means one
thing only-the wasting of thousands
Of dollars of the states funds. and the
prostitution of the good roads move
ment for selfish partisan political pur :
poses
/ recommend, therefore. that there
be created a state highway department
to be under the direct supervision and
control of a state highway commits
sioner, who shall be appointed by
she governor, subject TO the approval
of the senate, and who may be subject
to remoN al for inefticiency or neglect
of duty. The other officials and en-
ployes Of the department, authorized
by tho general assembly in the budget,
should be appointed by the commits
is!onev subject to removal by him at
pl assure.
To ASST the commissioner in his
work, / recommend that there also be
established a state highway board OF
five members. composed of the pro-
fessors of civil engineering of the Uni
versty Of Virginia, the Virginia Mill
toly institute. and the Virginia Ayr
cultural and Mechanical college and
Polytechnic institute, and two other
Numbers appointed from the state at
large by the governor. subject to the
EaIprova' of the senate. The members
of the board should receive a per diem
and their actual expenses when en-
gagged on official business. The boar
should ret be given any adminiStr.-
r. zkr1,..
department but should be constituted
Ia technical advisory body to assist tn
commissioner. The board also should
be vested with authority to hear and
determine all questions of appeal in
volving the location of routes II be
IL lowed and type of construction to
| be used in the several roads included
n the STATE highway sys. n. which m ~
l." aDpe eied by county or city officials
or taApavers from the j"t's ons of the
state highway commissioner. The de-
cisions of the board in such matters
should be final.
| The needs of the state highway de-
partment and of the board should be
provided for by the general assem- bly,
in the biennial budget which should
! fix the salary of the commissioner and
his assistants and provide for the COM
lpensation of the necessary employees
( of the department. The reorganiza-
! ton OF the state highway commits
sion along those lines will be in ac-
cordance with the progressive spirit OF
Virginia, and will at the same time be
in line with the best practice in the
other states of the Union.
| Refers to Federal Aid.
! or course all federal aid should
be taken advantage of, but so long
| as the present method of allotment
the states of federal money in aid
of state road building obtains. with
prospective increases in the amounts
I provided by congress, there will be a
strain upon the state treasury to match
the federal money; and It will be diff
cult for the state properly to provide
/ for roads other than those included
in the established state highway sys-
tenn.
! In my inaugural address / said:
THE present federal provision for
road building is petty and unsatisfy-
ing when the needs of our rural COM
munities are considered. In the vast
expenditures incident to preparedness
and to the prosecution OF the present
war. where billions of dollars are to
be spent, a system of postal and mill
tary roads should be built by the fed
eral government These are neces-
sary to the mobile action Of armies in
var and essential 10 the happiness and
prosperity If Our people in peace.
The constitution Of the United States
lcontemplates the building by the fed
Ieral government of post roads The
solution of the road problem in this
country will be had by the federal
government building a system of in
terstate highways as trunk lines, leay-
ing the state free to build feeders
1t@N Itextnx
does not fulfill its full duty when it
contributes fifty t5oT) per cent of the
cost of portions Of what we now term
Cur State Highway System"
There is now pending before the
congress a bill which will effectuate
this result and the general assembly
should. in my opinion. memorialize
congress for the adoption and con-
struction of National Highway
system.
The building of system of roads
in a reasonable time by direct taxa
ton will prove onerous in the extreme
sembly of 1920 must submit to the
electorate an amendment to the con
stitution of the state which will au-
thorize the issuance OF bonds for road
building The people of Virginia can
then decide whether they wish to build
roads quickly. or whether they will
continue the slower process which now
obtains
Public Instruction.
The cause of better schools and
better paid teachers also is very near
to my heart. and | have been glad 20
find that a mill tax, coupled with the
fifty (50Go) per cent increase in the
automobile tax for construction, will
suffice to meet the federal require
ments, have In mind at the next ses-
sion of the general assembly an equal
provision for these objects. so that
in the future good roads better schools
and better paid teachers may go hand
in hand for the up-building of the
Antitrust Legislation
I earnestly urge the enactment Of
antitrust legislation at this session
in order that the economic laws of sup
ply and demand may prevail and our
people may be protected from the
avar1cious manipulations of consci-
enceless proflteers Appropriate anti
trust and cold storage bills have been
prepared at my direction by thu lesis.