The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-15
Highway Commissioner Recommends
Consideration of Maintenance and
Asks for Funds for That Purpose

CncHr these faws. rne counties have
issued approximately tl1,00o,000 in
bonds and there is remaining unex-
pended about one and three-Quarter
millions. Proceeds from this source,
together with state money aid and
convict labor have been used in the
construction of s 800 miles Of road: d
mileage so per cent greater than the
present proposed state highway sys-
tenn
This construction, however, has
Highway, scattered throughout the one
hundred counties of the state. The
selection of these sections was made
without definite plan in mind, and
the consequence is that even with this
large road mileage IL Is impossible for
citizen of one section OF the state to
travel with comfort to any other sec
ton. AS matter Of fact, many sec
tons of the roads constructed in the
early period OF the state highway
commission have been allowed to de-
tertorate and go to pieces, by those
IN authority, for tack OF the proper
realization of the Importance OF
maintenance.
BENEFITS.
This condition, then, brought home
to us in 1914 the sense that II we were
~ accomplish u real anu lhSLlHE WOFk
for the state we must have a definite
policy--something which would get us
away from the haphazard mode which
we were then following. The way for
this was made comparatively easy for
US because OF the requirements OF the
Federal aid act which was then pend
ing in congress, as one OF its chief re-
quirements was that a state, before II
could receive Federal aid for high
rnnafrvct}nn ohni,ld MAYA dnA.
mite highway plans. Anticipating the
passage of this act the general as
sembly OF 1915 appointed committee
to formulate such plan. and to re-
commend policy. together with the
necessary laws to make them operate.
This they did to the general assembly
OF 1918, which established your state
highway system Of $3.50 miles OF
main highways. 1t also required that
the board OF supervisors of the coun-
ties should lay out and establish coun-
ty highway systems as feeders to the
main state system: the boards to select
each year sections to be improved.
APPROPRIATIONS.
They further provided that the state
highway system should be constructed
and maintained by the state. making
n small appropriation which together
with the revenue derived from the
three-tenths mill tax was to be used
in beginning construction on the state
highway system. They also Get aside
the revenue derived from the automo-
bile tax for the maintenance of the
state system; and at the same time
segregated prison labor for construc-
ton, maintenance or resurfacing on
that system. For the county high
way systems they provided an appro-
priation OF 100000 70 be distributed
TO the counties. and met by an equal
amount, for either construction or
maintenance purposes.
EXTRA SESSION.
The extra session OF. the general as
Semhly which convened in August,
1919; In order to meet the national
aid. increased the three-tenths mill
tax to a one mill tax. also increasing
the automobile tax fifty percentum,
| these increases to be used for re-
surfacing or construction. 1t was also
their intention to appropriate. from
funds derived from other sources, a
sum sufficiently large. which, together
with the funds derived from the above
sources would be SUFFICIENT TO meet
, Federal aid. This additional sum Is
being carried in the general budget OF
! the state for this year. They also
Tade an extra appropriation OF $780,
coo as state aid to the county sys-
toms.
One OF the most important changes
made at the extra session was In the
duties OF the newly created state high
way commission, a body OF Ave men,
selected from the different sections
of the state by the governor; the chief
duties OF this commission will be to
act as a board OF appeal from the
decision of the state highway com
missioner on the location of high
ways, and to confer with the COM
missioner on the ALLEGATION of funds.
The chairman OF this commission is on
your program for an address and will,
l am sure, give you a. most interesting
outline OF the duties and work of his
commission.
| To sum UP then, we have arrived
where we have on paper county high
way systems. which have been partly
constructed in bits. the results OF the
conflicts OF Ave hundred and forty
odd minds sometimes working in as
many directions. but some OF them
frankly making great effort to CO.
ordinate these various systems and
to bring into existence comprehen-
sive plan. A state highway system
also on paper. sections Of which have
been more or less improved, but all Of
which requires construction or recon-
struction to carry the traffic which
will ultimately go over It.
FUNDS AVAILABLE.
For the construction OF this system
We will have available part OF the
funds from the national government
the revenue from the one will tax.
the revenue from the increase Of tho
automobile tax. and special appro-
priations carried In the states bud
get, and such prison labor as can be
satisfactorily utilized on this work
From all of these sources we witt have
approximately ten millions of dollars
! covering the next two year period. In
addition to this. we viii have for the
, maintenance OF the state highway
system that part of the automobile
tax segregated to maintenance and