Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-18


$5.S2s.000. Some of tho items. how
ever. cover two-ycar period and
could not well be separated. The
approximate amount for the year
ending october 81, 1920. however, was
about 100000. AS to expenditures
l asked for the following: first. for
salaries of officials. members Of COM
missions. clerks. stenographers and
travelling expenses of same.
Second. amount expended for sal
aries OF engineers. craftsmen, sur
vcyors and other costs or preliminary
work.
Third. amount expended for sta
tionery, postage. printing, advertis-
Ing. Office rent and equipment.
Fourth. amount expended as direct
payment for actual work in repairing
roads.
Fifth. amount expended directly in
building new roads
To the first three questions I could
not get separate answers. but found
that the amount allowed for salaries
and expenses for the five men con-
stttuting the highway commission
Was only $1,000 per annum If the
men composing this board are not
worth $1,000 per year they should
be ut once dismissed and other ap-
pointments made, for the work de-
roiving upon them Is of so great
Importance that $1,000 Is a small
sum to pay IL the duties are we'll
performed. l find that the appropria-
ton TO cover salaries and other
things included In the first question
is $30.6oo per annum. a large sum.
but when you remember that this is
the total overhead expenses on the
sum expended II resolves itself into
an overhead charge OF only about :
per cent, which Is considered very
modest cost in most business enter
prises.
Repairs and New Work.
find that for repair work the total
expenditure was $780, 900: for new
road building. 32.7o0,000. could not
ascertain the number OF miles OF road
repaired nor tho number OF miles OF
new road constructed, but that infor-
nation. no doubt. you Will get from
some other source during the conyen-
ton.
Now let's notice some features OF
methods pursued in road building, re-
ferring. OF course. to State highways.
not those built with county aid Not
many days ago one OF our leading
state papers had most sensible edI-
Roads by Rods" This matter Of
building II few miles here and a few
miles yonder has long been point
OF serious objection on my part ana
or many others. My criticism may he
due to my lack of information as to
the reasons why. but l think we are
entitled to know the reasons for n
course Of procedure which ia con-
trary to the Judgment OF the people
at large. There are those here, no
doubt. who can give us the control
ling reasons from their viewpoint for
this method SO far ] have heard
only one. That one sounds plausible,
hut do not believe II IL good
one. or founded on fact. 1t is said
that the view obtains in the COM
mission that because every section
Is clamoring for better roads a little
work must be done In all sections or
else the people IN those sections
where work rs not being done will
raise most strenuous objection. con-
denim the entire proposition, and by
their ballots and through their rep
rcsentatives in the Senate and Legis-
!ature perhaps block the whole good
roads program.
Gentlemen. I do not at all agree
with that idea. do not think 10
Virginia. They are neither so iE-
norant nor so selfish. They know IL
must cost more in proportion to do
piecemeal work than to do IL by
large contract. and they certainly
want economy. They cannot he
selfish rs to say that because they
cannot ut once get all they wish
they Will not have il at all, nor per
NIT others To Lave It,
The whole treasury Of the State
might be opened wide to our high
way commissioner. and he could not
at once build good roads everywhere
that are needed. We must all be
patient and let the work progress
in orderly. economical and business
like fashion. and to my mind that
means longer stretches, larger con-
tracts and fewer OF them. One day
last week bids were received on
twelve projects, the total OF which
was bu. little more than the distance
from here to Lynchburg. I have no
idea where any one of these pieces
or road are to be built, but even
II every one of them ran into my
own home city l would have greatly
preferred To see it all In one contract
between detectives of some impor-
lance. such as Lynchburg and Roa-
nokc. Danville and South Boston, Pc