The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-26

hauling of half load TO market, bad
road of two miles will cost farmer that
has TO haul twelve bales cf cotton ten miles
| 10 market $500 Of direct tax eyery winter.
Because he will have TO load his wagon for
| that two miles of bad road, that has become
bad for the want Of work. It will take the
farmer two days longer 10 get his twelve
bales OF cotton to market, which will, all
the above taxes altogether, overrun the
y.,vVv vveiy year very much. The County
Commissioners failed to put The aforesaid
| law into force, and the next Legislature
amended It, aboiishing the Office of highway
| surveyor, making u tli, duty of the County
| in tho law for the high way surveyor 20 do,
| and fined them $500 If they did not do it.
say, have they done It? Well, you saw
they could not do 1t unless they would de-
vote there time and energy TO the duties of
the office. which would require not less than
two hundred days close attention of each
duties OF the Office. They should acouaint
themselves with ali the public roads In the
County. Why, Sir, there are two important
roads in the upper part Of tho County that
was not known TO exist by the County Com
miss.oners fifteen months aite- they ware
elected, and would not have been worked
all that time had It not been that the over
seer, after waiting twelve months for orders
to work and got no orders, went and worked
without ordel Why, the County Com
missioners. if they have not got zap OF
the County showing ell the public roads.
and pains to study that map, so that they
could know where all the roads and bridges
are located; they should have q roll of oil
the road working hands and the names Of
oil tho overseers filed In their Office, and
know what hands belong to each overseer,
and know what kind Of road each Get of
IN Ir 1n1 tha,.
properly equalize the hands to the amount
OF work to be done by each oyoTseer to keep
the roads in good travelling condition.
Well, you say, it would require all the time
OF the Commissioners to ill the Office. as I
have suggested. Well that is what the law
contsmplates as amended, making the du-
lies of the highway surveyor fall upon the
county Commissioners, and would cost the
County larger salary. Well, let it be so.
we, the people, would get value received,
and would much rather pay men q little
more to discharge the duties Of an Office nc
sity of the County, than t. have the duties
OF the Office, the important part Of the du.
ties, done by men that arc not amenablo to
any court for not doing, and getting no pay,
cannot afford to do anything effectually,
which results In the detriment of the inter
est OF the people, at q little less salary, be-
cause, to use economy until it amounts to
an aegrieyance on the people Is bad policy.
And to pay little more tax, and have the
County Commissioners devote more of their
time and energy, the people would see and
realize the necessity. for paying it, and
would pay It moro freer than any tax they
do pay. Why, sir, ! can prove that to put
all the roads and bridges in good condition
| in the County would enhance the price of
all the land in the County two dollars per
acre. Because, any man wanting to buy
civ yt,rr Law y r.
where there are good roads, believing that
ne was settling among an enlightened peo-
pie of good society. Well, I said it would
require the best men in the County to fill
The office OF Commissioner as it should be
| niied, men that would acquaint themselves
with the law that teaches them their duty.
| In speaking with County Commissioners
upon the subject of roads and bridges, he
said he had not had the luck to get hold of
| copy OF the road law, and had been in
Office then about eighteen months. How
| can any man discharge the duties Of an
| Office not having the law thnt teaches those
| duties. think it is time for new depart
ure in the filling OF that Office, if not 1t will
soon be tho case. It is now almost the case
that respectable men will not have that
office, and then the County will be in fire,
yes bad one. I suggest that the next Leg.
isature enact tho road law Of 1871, estab-
fishing the Office of highway surveyor and
assigning his duties, and fine him if he does
not do it. fit does cost the County little
| moro, We would then have men, responsible
men, to relieve the County Commissioners
, OF one -hElf their duties, in lieu of having a
set of sub-Commissioners that cannot do
anything, and ,io not do s3ything, effect
! nnlly. because they get no psy, anti / do not
blame them. In the re-enactment of that
law above mentioned 1 would let the peo-
pie work out their road tax ct so cents per
day, and recommend that the Legislature
amend the criminal law, making any man
convicted of petit larceny before O trial jus-
tees court work 90 days on the public
roaos and bridges under the eyes of o high
way surveyor n the tcVIs.ip ~ which The
offence wns committed, or pay fine, to be
expended on the public roads in the town
! ship. We could have O little lock-up In the
centre of each township for the Bafe Keeping
| OF the convict at night, and feed him on
short rationB out of the road tax of those
who chose to pay their road tax In lieu of
work.
Then, Mr.. Editor, think the County
Commissioners could have time to attend to
all the other duties Of their office by deyot-
ing only Is or 100 days to the Office. and
could make tho Office respectable. could
nave time to study and understand the law
OF their duties, could properly carry out the
drainage law to the benefit Of the people,
and not havo the expense of work on water
cctrseS that does not benefit any body, nor
have the expense of litigation on that sub
Ject, which fear will be saddled on the
taxpayer yet before 1t Is done with.
Yours truly,
LARKIN NEWTON.
CI6ee Greek, s. c., Sept. leth, 1878.
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