Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-18
LEGISLATIVE ROAD ACTS
DOWN TO 1919 OUTLINED
continued from Fourth Paye)

DOWN TO 1919 OUTLINED
Continued from Fourth paye)
which most OF You are familiar. the
General Assembly has from wear 10
year been making appropriations for
state AID to counties This work Is
Carried on by the counties. the State
participating to the extent OF the
apporionment Of $3.50 basis. The
,nSt General Assembly appropriated
s'oe.Oo0 annually. This approprIa-
ton has Eeen fairly well absorbed by
the counties. We would. therefore.
recommend to the next General An
sembly that this fund be further In
creased to sl.0O0.0OO from the state
treasury for 1922. and $3.50. O00>from
me state Treasury for 1928. and that
these general appropriations should
he Increased as rapidly as II Is found
mat the State funds will permit and
that the counties In their work can
absorb the appropriations
TOO much stress cannot lie laid on
the Importance OF the construction
and the maintenance of the main
line county highway. and that this
work should go along on parallel lines
with the construction Of tn. main
state system
oI Syhtr".
Third. We again recommend the
taxing over OF the whole $500 miles
I" the state system by the State for
maintenance. and that adequate pro-
vision be made by the General AS
s"mniy Tor this purpose. At the
present time the department Is maxi
ing every effort to maintain appr.xI
natcly 30 per cent OF the system. hui
IN many instances the sections which
the Department. has taken over are
separated one from the other by un-
improved sections which cannot he
maintained by the State and are not
maintained by the counties. since the
county authorities feel that The. state
VIII In short time improve these
unimprovcd sections and then TAX.
all Of them over FOR maintenance.
This question has teen "A source
or Il great deal If worry and concern
tn the department. and has In many
instances caused grca; deal OF un-
just criticism and MISUNDERSTANDING
]. therefore. feel that tho State, in
justice To itself and the highway
work which they have in hand. should
relieve the counties Of this burden
In this way they would add to the
FUNDS Of tho counties. which could he
uscJi for the Improvement Of the
county systems
Fourth. There should he some
definite plan 81 co-opcra,ion worked
out between the State and IN. coun-
Ties in the maintenance. az detour
roads. Under existing conditions. the
department has no authority In mat
tcrs %. this kind. We are. however.
being constantly told by the travel
ing public that IL Is tn. duty of the
state and Of the counties to AFFORD
adequate dctours for traffic Will.
The main line highway. are under
construction.
1T is a curious psychol"r icai fac,
that as soon as there Is "A general
discussion nf appropriations FOR high
way purposes. the public Immediate
~ jumps TO tn. conclusion that these
appropriations have been male anil
that having hccn made. the roads
should Immediately he opened for
fiic.
Just how 10 meet this condition
am at loss To know. To fake
care OF dctours however. the depart
ment would recommend that they be
given tn" authority and appropria-
ton. where traffic is dctourcd on to
county roads. TO participant" in the
maintenance Of these lr;ours un to
20 per cent. but that the WORK should
be done by the county authorities.
The association will undoubicdiy
indorse by resolution n number Of
minor recommendations. previously
made by the department. which have
been from time Ia time in"lrhcd in
the resolutions Of this association.
These then are the recommends
tons OF your highway compiSsioncr,
but to accomplish III. desired re-
suits and to attain the ends which
We believe will mean so much for
the development Of this State. Wa
must have the united efforts, coop
Grafton and. coordination of all Of
the interests in the state. IT must
hc the work for the state as n whole.
and not Of one community as against
another community. we must he
broad minded and liberal enough TO
realize and tn appreciate that the
work which we ar. undertaking. 20
he successful. and to attain The de-
sired ends. cannot begin At all points
in the State at one ana the same
time. ana that some sections OF the
road must he built first.
1t should not be II question of how
much We can get for our particular
community today. but how much We
can do for the development OF the
state as a whole which will in the