Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-01-23
MONTEREY, FRIDAY JAN %, 1920

visor Terry, who attended the roac
meeting in Richmond last week, re
turned Saturday evening, and while
the presence of county officials at
these several gatherings may not
seem to be fraught with immediate
or tangible results, it is in keeping
with policy of eternal vigilence,
a safe and commendable one.
1t is understood that Mr.. Coleman
of the Highway Commission, assured
Mr.. Jones that the explanation given
in letter to the Board since the ap-
portionment of Federal and State
funds outlined the plans of the State
as to Highland, viz: extending the
road westward from Lone Fountain
as rapidly as funds would permit, and
that he was under the impression
that such policy was agreed to and
approved by the county, or words
to that effect In other terms, instead
of splitting the pie so as to give High
land a separate portion, the slice
dealt out for West Augusta section
was intended to satisfy our hunger
for the time being.
This plan is probably the best one,
though there is a difference Of :opin-
ion as to that, but even in the judi
cement of those who agree with the
chairman of the commission there re
mains the conviction that Highland
aid not get an equitable deal in the
first apportionment of federal aid.
, In view of all facts in the case, recog
nned and acknowledged by all State
and county officials this highway
should have had a more liberal share
of the funds-an amount sufficient,
say, to have brought the new road
to the county line on top of the Shen-
andoah duging the next two. years.
To have done this, it might have
been necessary to ignore the clamor
for aid from other sections, or cut
down such allotment, butsif simple
! justice called for it, such course
should have been pursued regardless
of protests. For example: The
Valley pike, now a comfortable high
way, running through a section of
country honeycombed with railroads
and MacAdam feeders, is allotted
something like S25O,O00 for. these
years sufficient it would appear to
make it a veritable boulevard while
the section traversed by the S. &P.
( turnpike, east and west, is without
any artery CT trade whatever to sap
nothing of it's being an interstate
road
We have heard, indirectly that the
Recorders criticism of~the late dis
tribution Of funds was .disapproved
on the ground that it was calculated
to make the public dissatisfied, but,
such contingency was far from our
thought or purpose, and we do not
. believe that any thoughtful reader Of
this paper will charge us with strik-
ing foul in this game of road-build-,
ing, and while conceding that the
plan of. a continuous westward ex-
tension, without any gaps, may be
the best in the end, we are still Of
opinion that the amount allowed for
the two-year extension was not in
proportion to our needs and just
.claims-claims recognized in the, orig
inal classification and acknowledged
by every official who has been over
the ground and given an unbiased,
unselfsh opinion.
However, under the ruling of the
powers that be, we will be benefited
to a large degree, the West Augusta
section being the worst nightmare in
Highlands dreams, but one lesson we
have learned: There is a hungry
crowd at the pie counter, and if the.
county is to get liberal piece at
each slicing, she needs to see that her
official representatives and spekes-
men are present to help choke Off the
o1,,++onc and claim her norton.