Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-01-15
COMMISSIONER TELLS
OF HIGHWAY MOVEMENT
Members of Good Roads Association Are Given Program
That State Intends to Follow in Future in
Building Better Roads,

George II. Coleman. State highway
Commissioner, in his address yesterday
before tho annual convention Of Vir-
GINA Good Roads Association at Muir
phys Hotel, surveyed the history Of the
better highway movement in this
State. and presented his recommends
tons for the future. Tho text OF his
address follows:
1T Is always with 4 sense Of pride
and pleasure that l greet you gentle
men OF the Virginia Good Roads As
sociatlon--with pride, for 1 recall the
iirst meeting. when some thirty-o odd
OF us forcsathcred and organized this
association; and. with pleasure. for
have seen that number grow TO
many hundreds. representing. as you
THIS. grand Ga State.
TO form highway program 70.
tsinla, or to properly understand
state. it will be necessary to divide
me subject into two heads:
o,issW ha, has alieady been accom-
rs Second; What is 70 be done and
how we are to acc Jrnplish the best re-
suits in the shortest time.
i resolves itself into subheads, under
and then outline the work which we
sun,mar s'' OF old I.av..
., f;rs1 the state In 1906 .emea rked
W1i,hhsssss hfi asa!as program under ~
a s5bor in Highway. construeion. In
i2t8 they enlarged this program by
irbued to ehey wh a 70 eo Ss d ns,
receive convict labor. Under the acts
OF 1903 counties were allowed TO issue
act was further b-oadened in 1910 by
permitting magistcrial districts to Is
sue sue. b Donos > i9r The same purpose. The
Licenses fece was added 10 the State
money inoney; aid 70 counties in 1910 and
Unde. ,hese la laws s.a'p ahe eoSnties
haye Issued approximately, ;1l,O0O,Ooo
a aSa '',f o.s%anpE roeesds
rom this source. together with state
money aid and convict labor. have
im,les of road; mileage 30 per cent
Srester than the present proposed
state highway system.
This construction. however. ha,
%ecn divided up into short sections OF
n d sca..eret throughout the 100
o! these sections was made without |.
s ssnuenee h IA ,b IN mind and me con.
DAD mil.ass s"I eI i,n ~ssn ,h.s ,iarse
eitizen o. one section OF the State to
iraHei w';h comfort TO any other sec
Tons Of tho roads constructed in the
cAr!y period or the State Highway
-on''nlsS!on nave been allowed TO de-
teri,oEri,e and go 10 pieces by those in
"uih"riiy. for lack OF the proper real
znt'on o: the Importance OF mainte-
Benefits of Movements.
rms eond,,ion. then, brought home
ing work for he State We must iHH have iar:
a a., dehnite nolicy-so'nething which
baxardmodc which We we!e folio tIE s nIp-
me way Tor this WAS made ompara-
a ms.y eaiy ioF US because Of tie
"h'vn was then pending III Congress.
ha, o"s 9, IT'S chief chief reIuirements was
Il Federal aid for highway construc-
lion should have definite highway
ACT, the General Assembly OF 1916 aps
pointed cop,mittec 20 formulate such
iether with the necessary laws TO
mae ma c them operate This they did to
bished y as5ewsy q lsis weIsh
tenn OF $50 miles OF main highways.
~ also reaured tina, the Board OF SUI
out and establish county highway svs,
ter:s as feeders TO the main state svs-
en- the boards 10 select each year
Appropriations, Are Mude.
s,,in neg :, ,,b ,urtneE provided that the
sirncted and maintained by the State.
making 4 small appropriation, which
tosether with the revenue derived
tenancc OF the State system. and II
nc same onns,i time sesresated prison lat r
,orrs eoinst'o or maintenance or re-
For the county highway systens
ttssssSy a. provided an. APPROPRIATION Of
100000. TO be distributed 20 the coun
les, and not by an equal amount for
ether construction or maintenance
The extra session 90 the Gs1.-,,
assembly, which convened in August.
,sis. in order 70 meet the national aid,
nGTem nn;iS IN, the threeIien,hs mill tax to
s5eases 70 be used for resnrfseinE OF Or
ton to appropriate from funds de-
rived from other sources, a sum sufi-
, Gisnti ,y,n large. which; together With
sources. would be sufficient to meet
Federal aid. This additional sum is
Beng .se st carried 70 in the general budget OF
made an extra appropria. ion Of $500
wy az E soatG AID to county systems.
one OF the most !!npo tant changes
, d,,tie at the extra session was in the
iI ueiss OF c the newly created State
men, men. selected from the different sec
.,m"hs OF the State bv the Governor:
VII, thn he duties OF this commission
rom the decision of the State Iish.
MY, MY ,oo I'm on the location OF
missioner on the ALLEGATION OF fnn nn
on your 'r p2ngr, Of this compassion is
VII. l am sure. give YOU a most in.
ter Gi outline OF the duties and
"ork OF his commission, A'''
/ TO sum UP then. we have arrived
were sv we te have on paper county high
constructed in bits, the result h d par Ky
G ,minds so or fye hundred and forty odd
directions but. some Of Them en- as maihy
,1haklnG q great effort to co-ordinate
into existence a comprehensivc n,a VI I'M
sasfS nis N &n system also on paper
less improved, but ali Of rrh ,i,Trc OF
Gnires construction or reconstrnctiLoer ,
10 carry the traffic which will ultimate.
Funds Available.
For the construction OF this system
we Will have available Il part re- an
funds from the national Eovernmente
tic revenue from the one mill tax thc
revenue from tho increase OF tho an
tnmobilc tax. and special appropr;s