Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1921-04-15
Ihreshermen PORN 4 Union In
Va. Valley

Threshermen and Farmers was
Monday afternoon at a
meeting of over one hundred
Interested persons from Rocking
ham, Shenandoah, Augusta.
Frederick and Clarke counties,
held in Assembly Hall in Har-
risonburg. The avowed purpose
of the association, according to
its counsel, is ito defend its
members as users of the state
system from hinderance
by the State Highway Goa minis
sion so long as no unnecessary
injury is done the highways.
Also for the purpose of bringing
the thresher men and farmers
as we'll as the users of vehicles
such as traction engines, tractors,
and solid tire motor trucks, into
closer relation to effect change
in what the association calls
unfair rules and regulation OF
the State Highway Commission.
The organization was effected
as a result of the alleged inter
ference of the Highway Commits
sion in the use of the state roads
in making arrests of persons IN
| Rockingham and Shenandoah
counties who were operating
traction engines on the roads. A
test case is now pending IN the
Rockingham Circuit Court, in
which J. G. Shank, Of Mt. Craw-
ford, has appealed from the de-
cision Of ma gistrate, who fined
him SIS for operating a traction
engine on the Valley Pike.
Three arrests have been made IN
Shenandoah county, it is under
stood, which resulted in favor of
the threshermen.
The state org anization which
was effected yesterday, elected
the following officers: E. I.
CARRIER, of Harrisonburg, presi-
dent; Joseph Shank, of Mt.
Crawford, vice president; and
w. G. Sprinkel, of Harrisonburg,
secretary-treasurer. An execu-
tive. committee was appointed
consisting of F. B. Cadwallader,
of Stephens City; Lewis Miller,
of Clover Hill; J. H. Hicks, OF
i Stuarts Draft; D. J. Longerbeam
of Berryville, and E. M. Click, OF
ICenterviIle.
| the membership fee was fixed
| at SIS, which is to be forwarded
| to Treasurer w. G. Sprinkel,
who will return 81 Of the amount
to the treasurer of the county
organization of which the ap'
| plicant may be a member. Two
county organizations already
exist, it is understood, in Clarke
and Frederick, while it was stat
ed yesterday that all organiza.
ton will be effected at once in
| Rockingham.
| J. B. Parker, president of the
! National Association of Brother
| hoods of Threshernen, with
headquarters at Indianapolis,
was present, and assisted the
meeting in forming a permanent
organization He declared that
| forty-two states of the union
have such organizations, and
that Virginia has gone into it
with more zeal than any other
state so far" J. M. CARRIER was
elected a delegate to the meeting
of the national association to be
| held next winter in Chicago
| Arrangements for future meet
ings of the association will be
made by the executive commit
tee.
| 1t was explained that the State
| Legislature has delegated author
| ity to the State Highway Com
mission to formulate and enforce
rules and regulations governing
the use of the state highway
system, and that these rules and
regulations practically limit the
use Of the state roads to pneu-
matte vehicles. to the exclusion
of solid-tired trucks, tractors,
traction engines and other
Vehicles and apparatus weighing
over 1000 pounds.
the contention of the State
Brotherhood of Threshermen and
Farmers is that the Virginia
Fstatutes stipulate that no vehicle
shall be used on the state nigh
way system which "unneces-
sarily Injuries the surface" of the
roads, while the Highway Com
mission, they said, has narrowed
the number and character of