Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1921-09-30
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER so, 1921.
ROAD LEAGUES GREAT MORk.

many years. 1t had its beginning
III the distant past, before the
opening of the twentieth century.
IN 1908 it began to take definite
shape as a State organization,
and in 1914 it was duly chartered |
in the Commonwealth of Vir-
ginia, when it held its charter
organization meetings III the as
sembly hall of the Virginia
ca pitol.
It advocated State highway
system, mapped out the system
and induced the counties to buildI
their roads alorg these routes,
to give Virginia a system Of con-
nected highways. It-helped III
this work in ee-ry way and
awarded competitive PRICE for
tue best work done along these
through, State routes.
In 1916 the Rural Road Im-
proyement League drew a Bill
and presented il to the General
Assembly OF Virginia, then con-
Yened, providing for State
highway i'll Virginia. This was
introduced by Senator W a
kinehart and was known as the
"Rinehart Road Bill" A Joint
Resolution was substituted for
this Bill and was adopted by
the General Assembly. A COM
mittee then was appointed from
tile General Assembly to investi-
gate the matter of State high
way system.
CThe Chartering Of the Rural
Road Improvement League and
its measures for a State high
way system, though doing splen
did work and backed by the best
and highest people of Virginia,
were accomplished only over the
active opposition of Geo. p. Cole
man, then Highway Commits
sioner of Virginia-his attitude
in this matter excited consider
a BILE comment
In 1917 the first Virginia Road
CONGRESS was held in Richmond
under the direction of the Rural
Road Improvement League. J.
Sheppard Potts was elected
President of this Congress and,
with the assistance of w. D
Cardwell, former Speaker of the
House of Delegates, and George
P. Adams. appointed a committee
of thirty-nine members, one from
each State senatorial district, to
confer with the members of the
General Assembly and to get the
highway system for Virginia and
to have it routed properly. The
legislature of 1918 enacted legi>-
lation providing funds for its
construction and maintenance
This same year, 1913, the
Rural Road Improvement League
recommended the creation Of
State Road Board of ten members
one from each Congressional dis
trict-similar to the highly
efficient State Board of Agricul-
ture-to serve Tor nominal COM
pensation. This idea was adopt
ed only partially when the extra
session of 1919 created a High
way Commission of five highly
paid members, who seem to be
rather under the direction of the
Highway Commissioner, instead
of having him and his office
under their direction.
During the year 1917 the
"Virginia Good Roads Associa-
ton" was organized in Norfolk,
Va, by George P. Coleman and
his associates
The Rural Road Improvement
League has shown the people Of
Virginia the need for roads and
how to get them without bond
issues, just by using good man.
agement and the current revenues
at public disposal. 1t has mott
asked any membership dues from
anyone, as Membership tl1erin
shall consist of anyone who will
fill or have filled at least one
mud hole in the Commonwealth
each year"-and this system has
brought to each one an idea of
his own responsibility in prcserv
ing and maintaining public roads
and in safeguarding and handling |
properly the public revenues.
1t went even further than any
other public organization has
ever done when it orga nized the
Supervisors of every county in
Virginia into a Division of SUI
peryisors of the Rural Road Im-