Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-05
Tho Real Issue.

To tho Editor OF Tho Times Dispatch
Sir.-Tho real issue is not other
bonds or no bonds. but is bond Issue
good roads?
This is question that vitality con-
Germs all Virginians. And the only
way it will ever be decided fairly is
for tho newspapers to put both sides
of 1t squarely before our people.
Some, who have not given the mat
ter mature thought. say the farmers
and the tourists will be the principal
gaincrs by good roads and We can
not AFFORD TO float bonds at high in
tercst rates for their benefit alone.
| But every man. woman and child in
Nirginh Is equally dependent on
good roads. though some will never
see II until they are shown how II
affects their pocketbooks. And that
! is just where the matter of roads does
hit the city dweller just as hard as
| II does the farmer and moro so. A
market we'll supplied is. always an
economical market for the consumer.
And when II Is not we'll supplied the
city man pays more for his ncccssi-
/ ties.
! At hest, our roads are such that
thousands of dollars worth OF farm
products arc allowed to rot in the
fields and other thousands never
planted. because tho farmer knows
beforehand that he has no cheap or
quick means .of transporting his
products to market. 4 few days Of
bad wcathc- and most Of our roads
arc wcll-nigh impassablc. And at
such times the markets are even less
we'll supplied and up go the prices to
tho consumer.
We have outgrown our transporta-
tion system. Even whore tho rail
roads reach the producing sections
every time We have n period OF good
business they become congcstcd and
declare cmbargocs: and again up go
the prices 70 the consumer and bust
hess Is again halted. Good highways
have now become even more ncccs-
sary to our existence than railroads
| Highways never become conEestcu
and are nc2cr paralyZcd by strikes,
1ockouts or labor shortages.
Every clcar-thinking man knows
That most disease, poverty and suf-
ferinE is caused. primarily, through
ignorance of some kind. And for that
reason It Is right that education Of
our people should be placed ahead
OF everything else. But how. sir. can
we take education TO our people with
out good roads? All OF our best
teachers are trained in or near the
cities. And we cannot expect them
TO go to our rural sections until they
can go to and from them comfortably
! and quickly. In the meantime tho
farms arc being deserted and the cost
OF existence to both farmer and city
dwcllcr mounts higher and higher.
Yes, North Carolina and many other
progressive states have issued road
bonds at high rates OF interest. and
these states havo also far out
Gistanccd Virginia in prosperity and
benefits 10 their people.
Road building material and labor
are now cheap and the saving on
| these TWO items alone would moro
tcrest we might have TO pay by issu-
! ing road bonds now. Besides, all Of
! the bonds do not have TO be sold at
/ once and Wc would stil be able To
! take advantage of possible rises and
falls in the bond market
! The cost of issuing bonds. how
ever. or even the cost OF actual road
building. is not the real cost to Vir-
rinia. The real cost is what not hav-
/ Ing good roads is already costing
/ Virginia in Ignorance. in disease. In
poverty and in suffering.
There is not big business cor
! poration in our entire country that
would hesitate minute to Issue
! bonds. even IL they had to pay 10
! per cent interest. il it could even hope
TO realize the benefits Virginia would
/ from good Roads The Increased busi-
ness. employment and taxable values
alone, would more than offset and
take care of any possible rate OF in
/ tercSt that would have to be paid on
| road bonds
! believe the State could fix its own
rate OF interest by saying to each
! county: I'VE will build good roads
In your county just as soon as you
subscribe to enough of our bonds to
build them with" That. ann that
alone. would he the only Justification
OF building few main highways
FIRST. Is there county that would
not do this. If they knew 1t would
assure them good roads and assure
them quickly?
With good highways. practically
all highway travel and heavy traffic
would he done by motor vehicles, and
thcrc is not motor vehicle owner in
virginia who would not be willing to
pay direct tax. based on the weight
! II vehicle (barring. of course, those
motor driven machines that would not
use the highways regularity IL he
knew his taxes would give him good
highways.
If our chambers OF commerce. banks
and other business organizations
would realize what good roads mean
10 all Of us and would work for them
IKE Richmond did recently to get n
large business enterprise here, we
would soon have our roads and other
pig business enterprises as well.
without good roads we cannot
nope Tor our state to develop and
prosper; nor, without them. can we
nope to put an end to illiferacv
disease. poverty or suffering.
can Virginia afford to walt even
another day?
PERRINE PALMER.