The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-04-17
Single Copy 7c
TOLL ROAD BILL
PUTTHROUGHBY
REPRESENTATIVE
Warren's Blast May Have
Blown Privately Owned
Bridge Out of Bill

Where a mans treasure is his
heart lies. AS was to be expected,
Representative Bruce Etheridge of
Dare County who so reluctantly
went along on the proposal for
state owned toll bridges, because
last session he went all-out for
! privately owned bridges, put bill
in the house for the fiVe-year-old
beach toll-road project. The object
is now to overcome the ruling of
the Supreme Court which opined
that the Legislature could not give
company municipal powers nor
the right to condemn private land.
Rep. Combs of Tyrrell was the
introducer of a bill to cover the
bridge situation. Yet it leaked out
somehow that a bill was still 60
ing to be put through to give the
bridge rights to private COM
pany. Former Representative Lind
say Warren, who has long been
leader in the fight for free high
at the project last week. A storm
of opposition followed. When the
private road bill was introduced,
it left out the bridges. 1t was just
too hot, it appears. This group of
manipulators may have to wait two
years longer, unless they can stall
off or discourage the state off
Gals as they have been doing for
the past five years.
The separate bills for coastal
toll roads and coastal toll bridges
steered safely through House and
Senate committee in Raleigh We'd
nesday.
Without an opposing vote, the
Senate Finance Committee stamp
ed its approval upon bill which
would permit State-built toll
bridges to span Alligator River
and Croatan Sound.
Withuot an opposing vote, the
House Roads Committee favored
bill designed to permit private in
terests to build a seaside toll road
from Virginia Beach south to Mays
Head.
The coastal toll road bill, intro
dueed by Dare's Rep. r, Bruce
Etheridge and others, is similar TO
bills passed by the 1949 and 1851
General Assemblies. But the bill
was redrawn to get around the OBJ
jections of the State Supreme
Court, which several months ago
held both the 1949 and 1851 acts
unconstitutional. ..
The new bill deletes all mention
of bridges. Attorney James Nc
Mullan told the Roads members
that the toll road will ''tie into
bridges already authorized" under
the proposal which passed the
Senate's Finance Committee.
The toll road bill allows the right
of eminent domain to be exercised
by private interests.
Asked why U. S. Comptroller
General Lindsay Warren had at
tackled the toll road bill, Attorney
Mcmillan answered that the reason
seemed to be personal between
Warren and a leader in the toll
road plan.
The leader is Ray Adams of
Washington, D. c., formerly a
staunch friend of Warren, said
Mcmillan. "But they don't seem
to see eye to eye any longer" Adj
ans is member of the Carolina
Virginia Turnpike Authority which
proposes to build the toll road. He
also is principal property owner
along the route the road will fol-
| low.
Etheridge said Comptroller Gen.
eral Warren is ''fine man, a great
friend of mine. He has his opinion
and l have NINE"
Warren's blast said that the toll
road idea would advance a land
speculation deal by nonresident.
He also blasted supposed plans of
the developers for private toll
bridges.