Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1921-06-24
OPPOSED TO THE $4,000, 900
BOND ISSUE.

There was maSs-meeting of
the people of Nelson County on
Monday, May 2Sri, to take steps
AID determine the sentiment of
the people of Nelson County with
reference to the proposed issue
o bonds for the improvement of
roads. C. L. Martin was elected
chairman, and w. E. Kidd secre-
tary. S. B.. Whitehead offered
the following resolutions, which
after being discussed by him, c.
J. Campbell, P. B. Young, and
J. r. Coleman, were unanimously
adopted:
Be it resolved, That we, the
people of Nelson County, in mass
meeting assembled, DO declare
that we are opposed to the crea-
ton of a bonded Indebtedness for
the purpose of improving the
roads of this State, for the fol-
loving reasons:
First, We do not believe that
there is any need to do so. The
state highway commissioner has
declared that the roads proposed
to be made can be constructed,
with the money now available, in
sixteen years; and that, with a
bone issue, they can be construc-
ted in six years. We do not be-
leYe that it is worth while to
create an immense debt in order
to save only ten years. Ten
years in the life of a people is
but short time. We believe
that the current resources Of tie
State are amply sufficient for the
present to construct from year tc
year conservatlvely and with due
regard to the paramount problem
of repair such mileage of impro'
we'd roads as the State eau effect.
lively and economically construct
and maintain in proper repair.
Second. This is no time to ere.
ate debts. The world is a Chaos
and may remain so for seyera
years; business is disorganized
factories have either been CLOSED
down, or are running only a par
Of the time; agricultural product,
are selling below the cost of pro
duction; money is now hard t.
borrow; and if the bond issue is
passed, the bonds will have tc
bear high rate Of interest, OF
will have to be sold below par.
Third, If the $5O,OOO,OOO pro-
posed to be borrowed if actually
borrowed. Virginia will have the
fourth largest debt of any of the
States in the Union, it being ex-
ceeded only by the debts of New
York, Massachusetts and Cali.
fornia. The rate of taxation
that will be necessary to pay the
interest On the bonds aud to
create sinking fund necessary
to take care Of the. bonds will be
unbearable.
Fourth, If more money is need
ed to continue the construction
and for the maintenance of roads.
the same can be raised by an in
crease i'll the tax of automobiles
and trucks.
Fifth, The method of making
roads is constantly changing, and
it may well be that by the time
the road proposed to be made by
the money derived from the sale
of the bonds are constructed. the
method of making them NAV
have entirely changed, and the
work will have to be done over,
but the debt will remain.
The history of Virginia throws
food of light upon this prop
oslt1on. About the year 1880
(now ninety years ago. Virginia
entered upon a scheme of public
improvements. The James River
and kanawha Canal and mauy
other projects were commenced
and were built almost entirely
with money loaned by the State.
and secured by bonds. When the
Civil War commenced, the debt
amounted to $30,0O0,O0O. With
the building of railroads the ca
nal and many of the turnpikes
became of little or no value. and
were practically abandoned; and
about the year 1880 (now more
than forty years ago. the canal
was given away to the Richmond
and Allegheny Railroad; the old
turnpikes became useless; but
the debt remained, and over the
same there were waged for years
controversies which threw the
whole State into turmoil. Out of
that conflict there remains a debt
of 500. 500. 600. unon which nil