Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-15


Virginia Joins tho Good Roads Sistcrhocd
VIRGINIA is TO have special session OF
its General Assembly for the enactment
Of good roads legislation. That announce
ment III itself, as it goes forth to the world,
is efficient notification that the State at last
has wearied under the modification which its
abominable highways have thrust on it, that
it has shaken off its lethargy and means to
take its place among its sister States which
are happy and prosperous i'll the possession
of roads which the year round may BIO used
in comfort and profit. The more than two
thirds OF the members of the Senate and
House who signed the call for the special
session arc thanked by the State at large for
their progressive stand, and there is no doubt
that when the Assembly convenes they will
have in their road making plans the heartiest
cooperation Of those who did not believe it
advisable to sign, we'll as that OF the
Governor. There never has been any differ
ence OF opinion as to the desirability of the
end to DO achieved, only as to the means
thereto. With that point determined, all will
from this time on work together for the one
great object.
Primary purpose of the special session, of
course, is to devise ways and means of rails
ing funds wherewith to match dollar for
dollar the Federal appropriation Of approx
mately $5,000,000, SO that work may pro-
coed with the least possible delay. That
problem must be worked out carefully, so
that the burden will be equally distributed
and not fall with undue weight on any one
source OF revenue. When the Assembly met
last conditions were abnormal. and the i'm
position of any considerable road tax was not
feasible. Today Virginia is prosperous as
never before, and the Assembly, it is believed.
will have no difficulty in finding the needed
revenue with injustice TO nobody and with
the enthusiastic approval of the whole State
1T Is taken for granted that by the time
the Assembly convenes the State Department
of Highways will have worked out for pre-
sentation plan OF good roads building on
which all future construction will be based
and from which in time good roads will
radiate TO every section Of the State. There
VIII, OF course, be no further patchwork a
few miles here and few miles there, such
as has used up SO much of the States money
In the past without appreciable results A
system of roads which really leads some
where, north and south, east and west max
ing egress and ingress easy, and connecting
up with the good roads Of neighboring States.
is what must be planned for, and with the
money that will be available it should be
simple Of accomplishment
In this connection attention is called to a
bill pending in Congress which provides for
the establishment of Federal highway com
mission. designed TO work in co-operatiop
with the various State commissions, and
under whose direction the Federal govern.
ment would undertake to build in each State
as d part OF a national highway system no,
less than nor more than per cent of the
/ total highway mileage in that State. Pass
! age Of the bill would mean to Virginia ;
| national highway from north to south per
maps from Washington to Old Point, and
from east to west, built and maintained b,
the government. Should such highways az
Virginia already may have built be incor
porated into the national system, the govern
ment would at its own expense build an equa
number OF miles Of highway correlated TO the
national system. The bill as drafted is com
prehensive and worthy of careful study b,
Virginias representatives in Congress and b,
the members Of the Assembly on whom the
immediate problem of giving Virginia good
roads dcvolves