Evening star., 1921-05-22
ROAD BOND ISSUE
CAMP PA|GN FACTOR
Comes to Front as Sudden
Turn in Virginia Guber-
material Race.
Special Dispatch to The Stor

Special Dispatch to The Star
RICHMOND, Va. May 21.-Bonds
for roads has come to the front in
connection with the gubernatorial
race as the only real issue in the
campaign. Just why this sudden
turn to the bonds and connecting the
governorship Herewith is hard to
understand and it is causing consd-
cradle confusion. The governor is
vested with no power in the way of
: legislation. being merely the execu-
! tive. IF the legislature should pass
. bill for the issuance of bonds he
could sign it or veto it, or it might
become law without his approval.
The question is for the decision of
the people of the state at large when
, they elect members of the lower
branch of the legislature, all of the
. members of whicn are to be chosen
this fall. That there is opposition
to the bond issue. and that it is
growing at an enormous rate. is adj
! mitted by the friends of good roads.
The people Of the state are convinced
that bond issue means an increase
/ IN their taxes. and they are pointing
to the fact that they are now paying
nearly S1.000.000 annually in the way
of interest on bonds that were is
sued more than sixty years ago.
/ There was conference of men
; from many parts of the state here
! this week. called by the Virginia
| Taxpayers Association. and at this
! issue for roads. Replies to letters
! from the association shows that IS
| per cent of the people are opposed
to the bonds.
! Senator Trinkle and Mr.. Tucker
| have declared against any increase
| in taxes. and while this tantamount
to opposition to the issuance of bonds.
demand is that the candidates shall
make unAquivocal utterance on the
| subject. The good roads advocates
say they want only $12.000,OO0 of
! bonds next year, these to be sold at
, par and to carry per cent interest.
but il state bonds with that rate of
| interest can be sold at par it will be
! Il feat in finances.
| Labor is still plentiful in this city,
| with increasing numbers to be seen
! on the streets daily. 1t is observed
/ that the exodus of men from the
farms and the rural sections to the
! city has come to an end, and there
! are many who have been here and
i who have been thrown out of employ
ment who have gone to the country
and they are back on the farm at
| work. There is reason to believe that
| the wages of street car men here Will
| take tumble at the expiration OF
! the present contract in october. The
! greatest decrease in the number OF
men in any one industry hereabouts
| has been in the sawmills. the general
! decrease in employment has been 22
! per cent. and wages have fallen pro-
| portiOnately.
| War On Vice.
The city has been stirred consid- :
| erably on the public dance, vice and
| the risque movie show launched
lams called attention to the vice
conditions-the joyriding, costuming
of the young girls. along with the
dance halls. The Rev. c. A. Jen-
kins of Calvary Baptist Church. came
back in support of DR.. Williams and
informed the members of his congre-
cation that they could make up their
| minds to take their names of the
church rolls or they would have to
abandon the dancing places and the
movie shows. except in rare instances
On the other hand, there are some OF
the ministers who see no harm from
| home dancing and the movies, and
they are defending them.
| Teachers in the public schools of
the state are preparing to quit the
the coming month, and many of them
! will go to other states in which more
| compensation is offered. In Danville
the entire force of teachers has re-
! fused to sign up for another year
even at advanced pay, until they have
IL
years which has not been given them
J The American Legion of this city is
on the trail of the candidates for
governor and other state officers
! The soldiers are asking for the bonus
and demand that the candidates de-
fine their position.
With only eig ht days intervening
before the closing Of the lists OF
| candidates to be voted for in the
August primary. there have been pay
1 f0Y
governor and only two of the four
candidates for lieutenant governor
and the attorney general. The
aspirants for the minor places were
not slow to settle, and to date there
is opposition for only three, Of the
| eight places to be filled. The nnal
filing day is June 2.
Favor Taft Appointment.
| With the death of Chief Justice
| White Of the United States Supreme
Court the people of this city and
| state are discussing the successor
to that position. On all sides the
hope is expressed that the selection
| will fall on former President Taft.
| The appointment Of Judge Edmund
! Waddill, jr of this city, as the sue
! cessor to Judge Jeter c. Pritchard to
i the circuit court. has occaSioned a
good deal of pleasure among his
| friends, regardless of politics.
Scottish Rite Masons in this city
are preparing for the spring reunion
the end of this month. when a class
of not less than 325 candidates. will
receive the degrees from the fourth
| to the thirty-second. More than 200
/ of these have already been elected.
and there are more than 100 names
| to be voted on at the melting to be
held Monday night There has not
| been such number of candidates
| for the higher degrees for years. and
| the subordinate lodges OF the state
are conferring the degrees at every