Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-10-14
". VA. MUST keep
ABREAST OF ROAD
BUILDING WAVE
ARGUMENTS AGAINST GOOD
ROADS AMENDMENT NET
BY MR.. WILLIE
DENIES AMENDMENT MEANS
A PERPETUAL BOND ISSUE
Read This Carefully Before You De-
eide How to Vote On Ne
vember 2nd.
(sy II. r. Wyilie, President West vir-
ginia Good Roads Federation.)

(sy II. r. Wyliie, President West Vir-
GINA Good Roads Federation.)
A former state official has seen At to
oppose the ratification q . proposed
good roads constitutional amendment
upon which the voters of this state will
act at the polls Oh November 2nd. He
is not combining himself TO facts In his
zeal to gather about him q group Of
followers.
He made a recent speech before the
West Virginia Bankers Association In
Charleston In which he made use Of
political buncombe. Many Of the bank
erS who heard him remarked, Certain
ly he is not sincere I'm his remarks
against the amendment" He assumed
the position OF patriotism, declaring
this motive is actuatins his fight
against the good roads amendment
Yet his attitude clearly shows that his
Is selfish interest, possibly because
he is the mouthpiece of certain clients,
probably people whe live outside OF the
state and who own vast interests In
undeveloped lands which they are let
ting lay idle, paying little or no taxes
upon them but which have rapidly i'll
creased in value due to the good citi-
zens OF the state who are active in its
urbuilding. His attitude makes II OBJ
viouS that there is something radically
wrong. His position is entirely incon-
siS'ent. II you will bear with me, /
will discuss, as follows, the speech he
made before the bankers
Burden On children's Children.
He declared that if the state issues
S50,00O,OO0 in road bonds, 1t would
burden our children's children with a
gigantic load. This is absurd to say
the least, when it is considered that
the counties have voted since 1911 the
sum of $25, 110,477 to improve local
roads. This Is over half the amount
proposed by the Federation, namely
$5O,OOO,OOO. which 1t is proposed to
spend over n period OF FIVE years. The
only difference in this plan Is that the
roads will not be constructed in dis
connected manner but along defined
routes leading somewhere and to be
OF the greatest benefit to the citizens
of West Virginia.
We leave 1t to the fair-minded peo-
pie Of this state whether the plan is
not conservative when II is considered
that bonds fer road purposes in the
last nine years amounted to SOS, TIC, AT.
He Charges Graft Possibilities.
He raises the question whether state
officials and the legislature can be
trusted to provide laws and oversee
the expenditure Of this money. This
is throwing 4 smirch on state officials
and the judgment Of the people az to
whether We can trust our own officials
Reliable authorities believe there II q
different plane Of honor and honesty
among West Virginia officials and the
legislature than there WAS in the old
days Il VhG1aia. The type OF mea We
now elect to puslie efice - tAat Ct hixh
repute and rhese Men have the hest IN
terests OF Tie state At heart AID are
not pirates o. H0untebanks, as he
~>sA 49,.
We nNStsd eur cOanty sKtia1s to
bsiid reads piece meal for very large
amounts - Tie past We certainly can
6s2 - 49, 46e4sA - q sASAay
larger prs1ssaSn which - necessary
because Of q new order of things and
because It Is necessary to keep the
state progressive.
The business OF the country is done
on confidence and we must have con-
fidence in each other.
His Tax Scare.
M statement relative to Increased
Auee aAd ths manner IN which We
must pay them Is badly Earbled. He
ehdeavored to show that increased tax
1tien vS16l - sAArns~s. He eiabor-
sSss SD0oN - ths psiat He tries
- aD - - - pAaa proposed for
sssArhG - bseAs By astaasAlIe "
ssassG He certainly less net want to
81 ~ 6agno.t Up agaf.st such states
o. OAaosszAa ($4o,oo0. 900 In road
bass9. niass Ger, eoo. Ooso a.l Mich
igan ($nA ooe. eeo) who propose to pay
for their rsceAt road bend issues from
the income Of aIts licenses. This ILL
Dsis plan, II sHpated in West Virginia,
would be entirely practical. The in
come from licenses of this nature In
1905 was 1880 while In 1920 receipts
from this same source was over one
million dollass- If the number OF au-
tSmObiles IN West Virginia continue to
increase ON The same ratio as they are
at the prsseAt time, consi dering the
fact that West Virginia has no roads,
the increase in machines will be much
larger when this state road system is
completed. The income derived from
ntnnnnniln li1nnsnc will not n,l, ro