Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-10-08
GOOD HIGHWAYS
BY BOND ISSUE
State System Can Be Built
In SIX Years.
+ ,,---7-=-------. ,----- 80 \
NO INCREASE sH TsxEs>
Many Organisations Working For Pas.
sage OF Coed Roads Amend
mcEt Move mbsr 2.

By permitting the Legislature, WlLn
the approval Ct the Governor, to is
sue bonds for road building, Virginia
will be enabled to build State high
way system in six years. This is the
statement Of Highway Commissioner
George P. Coleman, who has given the
matter of better highways exhaustive
study. 1t will take eighteen years to
complete the same work under the
present plan OF annual State appro
priation and Federal aid, Mr.. Cole
man estimates.
This rapid construction through the
| issuing of serial bonds need not in
crease the tax rate Of the State one
penny, Mr.. Coleman says. Interest
| on the bonds issued could be paid from
the net revenue of s5,000,000 a year
which is now available for highway
construction, the commissioner states
and the bonds retired within twenty
years. Mr.. Coleman points to the fact
that bonds will be issued only at such
| times and in such amounts as the
Legislature deems wise.
Endorsement OF the good roads
amendment which will permit the
Legislature to issue bonds has come
from some of the largest organizations
In the State and numbers Of >promi-
nent men and women in every section
have expressed approval of the pro
posed change and are working actively
I TO secure a favorable vote when the
amendment is voted on by the people
on November g.. 1t has already been
ratified by two sessions of the Legis,
lature. -
Gives Legislature Authority. {
The adoption of the amendment does
not issue any bonds. That remains
for the Legislature. The amendment
does not direct the Legislature to IS
sue bonds. but gives 1t the power to do
so when they are needed to give Vir-
| ginia the system of highways that she
should and must have. The bond-issu-
ing privilege has long been enjoyed
by counties and towns but 1t has been
denied to the State because of con-
stitutional prohibition drafted in 1902
when there was not the pressing need
for good highways such as exist at the
present time. X. s: 8. To-,
In answer to those who say that
automobile taxes in the State yield
$2,000,000 a year and that this sum
would go a long way toward highway
construction, 1t is pointed out by those
familiar with the situation, that only
one-fourth of this sum is available for
new construction. The remainder goes
for highway maintenance. This pro-
vision takes account of the fact that
1t is short-sighted to- build roads and
then fail to keep them In condition.
Nor does the Federal Government
give dollar for dollar In Federal aid
for what the State puts up. It Is just
the reverse. Congress appropriates
q certain sum for roads throughout
the United States and tells each Snte
how much twill get 1t is then left
to the State to appropriate an equal
sum in order to secure the Federal aid
BY a bond issue, Virginia will always
be assured Of receiving all the Federal
cid coming to her
More Money Badly Needed.
Experts In highway matters in Vir-
ginfa hold that one thing that has
kept the State from having compre-
hensive highway system is the practice
of building small sections of roads in
different parts OF the State instead Of
long stretches that will connect with
other improved roads. But with the
limited funds that have been at the
disposal Of TIE highway department, 1t
Is necessary to distribute the road
building as widely as possible. If the
State had the funds, such as would be
provided by a bond issue, 1t could
award contracts for three or four times
the mileage ON each section of the
State highway. This would attract
large contractors who could do the
work better and at lower figure, 1t
is pointed cut BY the time any bonds
can be issued. the State Highway De,
partment will have completed plans
and specifications for the. entire high
way system so that the contracts could
be awarded as fast as men and ma
terial could he gotten to do the work.
Construction of a State highway sys-
tenn will lift great burden from the
counties. They now spend large sums
for the building and maintenance Of
the main roads that would be taken
over by the State. Thefr money would
then be released for work, ON the lat
eral roads connecting with the main
roads and the result could be that the
State would be honeycombed with
good roads. That Is one OF the ad-
yantages held out by bond issue for
State highway system.
Should the people fail to pass the
good. roads amendment on November
2, It would require six, years before the
pa oole of the State could benefit from
the amendment, should the Legislature
feel disposed to again submit the mat
ter to a, vote Q, the. people. The Legis-
iatura aas twice ratified the amend
inert ssoaly the, peoples confirmation
Is needed.