Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-22
Assembly May Face Emergency of Time

Assembly May Face Emergency of Time
TT remains for the House of Delegates to de-
L eide whether the General Assembly shall
conhne itself to the consideration of good
roads legislation, for which it was called into
extraordinary session, and such other matters
as the Governor may submit, or go into the
subject of relief for the schools following
the lead Of the Senate in it's adoption of the
Conrad resolution. From the beginning of
the session "a large number of the Senator'S
have been in favor of letting down the lcsis-
latlve bars and IT was the House that saved
the situation to the good roads program at
the same time leaving SUFFICIENT latitude for
any emergency that might arise. Now, after
the controversy as TO the scope of proposed
legislation apparently had been determined
satisfactorily to majority of the Assembly,
and certainly TO the people it represents it
again is put up to the House to conserve the
public trust and defeat the nimical Senate
action Already it has rejected the Conrad
resolution and that it will defeat it ulti-
mately and decisively and force the Assembly
to carry out its original program, unless the
initiative should come from the Governor
seems reasonably sure
But one emergency faced the Assembly
I when it convened. SO far none other has ap-
peared, but there is danger of one developing
soon. That is the emergency OF time AL
READY IL mas been eight days since the law
makers came TO Richmond. In those eight
days. one-third OF the working time at their
disposal little appreciable progress has been
made. Practically nothing has been accom-
piished in the paramount matter of the State
highway system. The Assembly still is en-
broiled over its method of procedure, some
thing that might we'll have been settled on
the hrst day Of the session. With time press
ing on. soon there will be real need Of haste
ond the people who sent the Assembly to
richmond are in no mood TO see repeatcd tho
helter-skelter, slipshod, blindfod scramble
! 'hat mas become customary i'll the closing
| hours of a legislative session. The work at
! mana Is TOO big. too far-reaching. too vital in
| us bearing on the future Of Virginia to per-
I mt such contretemps that would be-
| IL is high time now that the Assembly get
| down to real and intelligent labor on the
! roads program. to the rigid exclusion Of every
| thing else that might interfere with its con
| sidcraton; it is time that the roads logisla
! ton begin to take definite shape so that the
| people who are to pay the bills may know
| exactly how and for what their money is IN
| be spent; it is time to obliterato all lines. TO
/ lay aside personal wishes as to legislation 10
! forget that there are such political subdi-
visions as counties and districts, and TO think
only OF Virginia and how best it can be lifted
| out of the mire. With that loyal end in
view. it is trusted and believed that The House
Will remain true TO it's unshakcn stand and
compel adherence to the good roads plan.
Has anybody observed that instead of the
peace without victory for which we were
calling three years ago, we now seem TO have
victory without peace?
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