Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-09-24
GOOD RoADs-A VITAL QUESTION

GOOD ROADs-A VITAL QUESTION
Numcrous questions are being ask
: ed regarding the meaning and pur-
pose Of the proposed Constitutional
/ Amendment for Good Reads
The adoption Of the Constitutional
Amendment for Good Roads does not
issue one penny's worth OF. bonds. 1t
merely gives the general Assembly
and the Governor the. authority to
issue bonds in such amounts and at
such times as in their judgment is to
the best interest Of the state. j., This
is only. giving he, state the same au-
thority which county, city OF. town,
a corporation, partnership or individ-
ual now possess, Of using their credit
for construction purposes: .,..... .,,.
1t is advisable to state at the outset
that approximately .one-fourth only.
of the revenue from the automobile
license fees is available fer new CON.
struction. The remainder. Of. the.
fund. is being very properly set apart
for the maintenance - Of the roads,
when they are built. The Govern
ment Will not put up, a dollar for
every dollar Of the States money in
Federal aid, but rather tells Virginia,
along with the other states, how
much Federal Aid the state may ex-
ipect, and requires the state to match
their funds dollar for dollar. The
present net revenues for new con-.
struction, Including the Federal Aid,
is approximately $5,00,00). This;
does not include the separate fund
for state aid to county roads.
AS every section of the state is
equally anxious and equally entitled
to have, construction started along
the worst sections Of their mileage Of
State highways, the, State Highway
Commission must pick out sections
on..the various main highways and
proceed with their construction. With
the limitedasf funds available this
r means that the mileage in each Sec
ton is small If the state had the
: funds; the highway commission could
just as easily award the, contract for
three or. four, times the mileage on
each section of the state highway.
,Muoh4Cf the same overhead on. a two
mile link would, take care ola ten
mile section The larger contract
would attract more bidders who with
large road building equipment could
afford to bid lower per mile. By the
time any bonds could be issued the
:: state: highway : department would
have completed the plans and specifi-
cations Of the entire state highway
system SO that these contracts could
be awarded as fast as contractors,
men and materials could be secured
to- do the work. .slIA i'ss.": go: f..t
~ Under the present plan of."paying-
as-you-go," ,"-7 Commissioner Coleman
states that It would require not less
than sixteen years Tto complete the
state highway system, whereas if the
necessary funds were provided to en-
able his department to build the, high
ways as rapidly as it is possible to do
so, the same system ofroads could be
constructed in six years. -. - i
The issuance of bonds would, of
course, require of the' Legislature
that they make provisions at the
same time to pay the interest on any
bonds issued and also provide for
their retirement. a.In tho 1rst place,
under lithe. plan Of financing state
bond issues followed by the, states of
New York, Pennsylvania, jMichigaRi
: Illinois, California 42nd =other. states
which have adopted this plan, the
bonds WeGi.t be SERIAL ponas,~-lssueo
only as m,tneyts needed, and retired
Aas Afass aHaaYFidllg~t.ss, a, the fund. Brepidea~for
this purr,e accumulates.<
80 Bontg c-~r bo issued for tho con-
"stfuetlchs t.=st Eifgtntals highway 5ys-
ten. without >ifcreasltig the. ge:.efal
taxes of, theGtate cne penny. fIT ~
der that this. may be understood, let
us compare the construction OF the
states road system 20 man building
4. sixteen story building. We will
suppose that he has an. in. one me which
will permit him to build one sttrg: a
year, operating on a. cash basis. BY
borrowinglthe money he can Build
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