Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-01-19
UNWILLING TO PLACE
BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS

enator Russell, of Lynchburg
District, Gives Gov. Trinkle Ii
Views On Highway Il
Building.
State Senator II, bert A. Rus
IelL representing Lynchburg and
Campbell county, has written the
giving very sound reas-
ms for opposing the road bond
ssue :
Dear Governor Trinkle:
I will support any reasonah'e
on gasoline or otherv'>
to build the roads as fast as I'll, y |
can be economically constructed
ON THE PAY-AS-YOU Col
PLAN, BUT AM UNWILL.l
ING TO PUT A PERMANENT
INTEREST CHARGE BY WAY
OF BONDS OR OTHER DEBTS
UPON THE STATE OF VIR-
GINA FOR IMPROVEMENTS
THAT ARE NOT PERMA.
NENT, and under the rapidly
changing methods of transporta-
ton don't believe that any road
now being constructed is as per-
manent as the debt for the same
would be.
There is an additional reason
why / could not support any bond
issue at this time and it is that
when / was elected the constitu-
ton did not allow the Legisla-
ture to issue bonds for road con-
struction, so that this could not
have been an issue at that time,
aud | believe that under any cir
cumstances no bonds should be
voted by a hold-over legislature
that could not have been elected
on that issue. but that the peo-
pie should pass OIL this question
by their votes in an election in
which this can be made an issue.
Your letter December 5. shows
that the highway depsrtm ~
has been thoroughly reorganized
and lis now on working basis
and prepared to expend, with the
exception of a few additional Ell.
gineers and clerks who would
have to be added, around fifteen
million dollars a year" | am
unable to agree that this is a
reason for the legislature to vote
as matter of economy fifteen
million dollars that the State de-
part"eEt has prepared to expend
when they had only about three
and one-half million dollars to
expend in this way according to
their estimates in your letter. 1t
seems that with about three and
one-half million dollars in sight
that surveys and estimates for
the expenditure of about fifteen
million dollars involved an excess
sive expenditure for engineering
projects and that if the person.
mel cannot be kept up to the max
imum efficiency for three-and-
Observation-Disclosures project. l
do not perceive how they would
be so efficient for a fifteen-mil-
lion-dollar one.
However, l do not expect the
work to be held up until l, or
even every member of the legis-
latnre, can see that the whole
appropriation is economically ex
pended, and | am willing to vote
sufficient sums to construct the
as fast as the tax bur-
den will permit, and the roads
can be reasonably permanently
designed and efficiently construct
ed, and | am willing to serve in
a short extra session to pass
necessary legislation for a one
year cash program of road con-
struction without compensation
or expense to the State, if as
many as half of the bond issue
advocates will do likewise.
| had rather help Virginia to
pay her debts and build her inn
provements on the cash basis
economically than to prize her
temporarily out of the mud by
using debt as lever and future
Taxpayers as a fullcrum and
bequeath to future generations
the onerous duty we shall perform
aud the remains of a road system
which will not be as perma nent
as the debt nor as lasting as the
heavy interest charges.
With personal regards, l am,
Yours very truly,
POBT. A. RUSSELL.
Last OF Free SEED
Washington, Jan. Is. - The |