Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-08-28
SOME BRICKBATS.
SOME BOUQUETS
Letters To Winchester Star Indicate
Some Things Not Popular

me nrst letter bearing on high
ways to be opened was from John r
Hope, secretary of the Richmond Au
tomobile Club. who enclosed a lette,
he had mailed to Chairman Shirley
of the State Highway Commission
dealing mainly with the arrest of non.
resident motorists at the Pennsyl
vania Railroad crossing at Clear.
brook. Frederick County. and includ
ing criticism of Virginia roads, as.
sorting that the condition of the high.
ways keeps tourists out of the State
The second was in the form of a
letter from Edwin A. Halsey, Wash
ington. published In the Washington
Post. in which the writer declares
that Virginia abounds in hundreds
of miles of good all-weather roads
leading to principal places of inter-
est in the State" and that ''it is time
that some of the critics OF the roads
of Virginia should stop fault-find-
ing"
The conditions at Clearbrook COM
planned of by Mr.. Hope have been
remedied in the last day or two. The
Winchester Chamber of Comerce has
brought influence to bear so that nom
resident motorists will not be sub
jected to further arrest by traffic Of
fcers for their failure to stop at the
Pennsylvania Railroad crossing
law which they know nothing about.
The letter addressed to Mr.. Shir-
ley by Mr.. Hope follows:
Richmond, Va,
August 10. 1925.
Mr.. H. G. Shirley, Chairman,
State Highway Commission,
Richmond, Va.
Dear Sir:
Our attention has been called to a
roadside filming mill, now being con-
Quoted at Clearbrook. Va, where
both resident and nonresident mo-
florists are being tried and fined
$10.25 for failure to stop at the rail-
road crossing at that place.
Vigorous protests are being lodged
by nonresident motorists that they
are innocent victims. due to the fact
that there is no sign advising them
of the Virginia law regarding railroad
crossings.
In travelling over the State, we
have noticed that only at very few
crossings is there an official highway
department sign, advising people that
the law necessitates coming to a COM
plete stop at these places. 1t is true,
OF course. that the railroad company
has warning sign. but since the rail-
roads throughout the country erect
such signs there is no way in which
nonresident motorists can possibly
know that 1t is a matter of law in
Virginia. Furthermore, a railroad
sign is private property and, there
fore, has no legal status.
1t is the opinion of the Automobile
Club that it is grossly unfair to ar
rest and fine nonresident motorists
for noncompliance with the railroad
crossing stop law until such time as
the State Highway Department places
an official sign, advising people of
the law.
While the condition of the Virginia
roads is. of course. great factor in
keeping tourists out of Virginia, this
Is matter which we cannot remedy
until the money to build our roads
is forthcoming, but we see no reason
why there should be any delay in
erecting signs at grade crossings, so
that the nonresident motorists who
do care to travel over our existing
roads shall not have cause for still
further complaint as to the motoring
conditions in Virginia.
We sincerely trust that you will
give this matter immediate attention,
as the conditions now existing at
Clearbrook have been duplicated
many times in different parts of the
State and have brought Virginia and
its laws into disrepute with the VIC
Tins, their complaint usually taking
the form OF statement that, in their
opinion. the main purpose and effect
of the railroad crossing stop law is to
fill the pockets OF the people con-
Quoting these filming mills,
Yours very truly,
JOHN r. HOPE, Secretary.
Defends Virginia Roads
Writing to the Washington Post
Mr.. Halsey says:
To the Editor of the Post,
Sir.-May | not say a word in de
Tense of the Virginia roads. which
have been greatly maligned? 1t ma,
be true that the road from Washing
ton to Richmond is not perfect. bu
Virginia abounds in hundreds o.
miles of good. all-weather roads lead
Ing to principal places OF interest II
the State. Mount Vernon. the hom'
OF Washington: Monticello, the hom
OF Thomas Jefferson: stanton, tn
birthplace of the immortal Woodrow
Wilson; Lexington. the burial plac
OF Virginia's beloved Lee and Jack
SON, and also the home of Washing
ton and Lee: Charlottesville. the sit
OF the University OF Virginia; Natura