The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-08-24
Common Roads.

| oHA S"uutiy Itoplc WHO are CHlCfy III
,crested IN having good common roads
we nave so long been accustomed to tn,
oiu ruts that we do not realize the ncces
sity Tor better, and yet good commo,
roads are the best indication Of prosper
lty OF country. With our present de
icctive system of roRd-work we can nev
er have good country roads. 1t is essen
tiaiiy the same now rs it has been for ,
| hundred years past. With progress il
ali other material wants, we have mad,
no progress here. The present system
's inefficient aud unsatisfactory in every
respect, yielding poor results, but felt nt
unequal, UNJUST, ;a:.!a! ard crn-css;::
In It's operation. AS general rule those
who do the actual labor OH the roads are
the very persons who have least concern
ABOUT their condition. II is an unwill.
ing service rendered, and there is n lack
OF strict responsibility for their proper
condition. We have in our jaiis and
penitentiary the very materials needed
for putting and keeping the roads in or.
der, which instead of IN expense to the
state tor diet and bond, may be turned
10 Usefulness and profit:
The elements of national prospcrity
ire numerous and varied. The patriot,
the statesman, and especially the farmer,
should be wide awake, fruitful in invcn.
tlon, and be ready to adopt and utilize
what gives promise of being valuable.
Railroads, besides being one of the
grandest achievements of modern civil.
zation, and one of the most potent in.
struments OF general wealth, have been
o., OF incalculable advantage to agriculture.
they are not, however. more valuable
nor more important than common roads.
One OF the first consequences Of "new
settlement, sometimes an antecedent, is
a road. "Blazed trees" to mark the
course, are succeeded by q highway. The
ioot-path or bridle.p path is enlarged into
the wagon road. As population and
wealth increase, the rudo appliances give
way to more substantial structures. The
civilization Of people may be approxi.
mateiy determined by the character and
condition Of tho roads.
The value Of good roads and the i'm
portance OF keeping them in good con.
dltlon can hardly be over. estimated
Ihey are made to reduce the .ractive
iorce 10 the least possible limit, 40 as TO
make travel and traffic easy and inexpen.
sive. The tractive force is tho power
required TO move vehicle and load on
horizontal road" If steep grades, holes,
ruts, unevenness, &C., increase the trnc.
1--we force, then the travel must be slower
and the load drawn must be lighter. AS
you approach the horizontal and improve
the hardness and smoothncss ofthe road.
bed, speed and the load can be Increased.
A distinguished engineer says: at may
be remarked, by way of comparison,
That II nifty horses are just sufficient to
conduct given traffic upon a given
length OF very dry and smooth broken
stone road, it will require seventy .one
horses TO conduct the same traffic upon
an equal length of the same road i'm
moist or dusty condition; one hundred
and twelve horses If the rond be covered
with dust and mud while upon tho
same length of solid earthen causeway
covered with gravel one and one. half
inches thick, two hundred md forty
horses would be necessary to accomplish
the same work"
a volume would not suffice to treat of
the hcalthful influence of this creative
agency upon production, travel, revenue,
wealth and comfort. We complain Of an
oppressive and iniquitous protective tar
III, OF The heavy exactions of internal
revenue, of burdensome city levies, and
never tire of jereniads Oh 'bloated bond
holders" and yet cost of transportation
is the heaviest tax our people pay. 1t
Is tax on Industry, on labor, on capital,
on production, on exchange, on con-
sumption.
The wealth Of State, rs of person,
consists in excess Of production over
consumption. Everything that increases
the quantity of commodities obtained in
exchange for any result of industry,
encourages production and increases
wealth. Speaking after the manner of
the science of wealth, product is any
thing got ready for sale, aud for the Dur.
poses Of this paper we limit to material
things got ready for sale. 1t seems too
obTious for argument that what inter.
feres with legitimate production hinders
the accumulation of wealth, and what
facilitates production increases wealth.
Products may be numerous and prospec-
lively valuable. but without immediate
value or price, because they are not
where they can be sold. To give market
able value, buyer and seller must be
brought together. What restricts the
delivery Of commodities, or makes deliv-
cry as to time or quantity uncertain,
puts restriction upon sale and therefore
upon value or price. If the buyer and
seller be put into communication, and
the modity be readily and cheaply
deliverable, then some Of the most se.
rious impediments to trade are removed.
A farmer grows and gathers crops and
prepares for market, but the market has
to be sought. Miles intervene between
the producer and the buyer. The cost
of getting the crop to market has to be
paid by the farmer, and 10 to that extent
diminution of profits and tax on pro.
ductlon.. If the cost of getting to mark
ct equal the cost of -aising, then that
crop must be abandoned. II remoteness
from buyer and the cost of transportation
be so great as that no profit can be de.
rived from producing, then the land will
nave no marketable value. Good roads
and cheapness of transportation will
enhance tho value of land and make
farming profitable. Remote neiphbor-
hoods are brought together, trade and
friendship are stimulated, and the coun-
try prices bear due relation TO town
prices. A market is created for surplus
produce, value is impaired by creating a
demand; and the better and leas costly
the transportation the larger is the sphere
of demand.
This matter of common roads needs
increased and continuous attention. To
it the country should give thought and
labor and money. Improved roads. with
mile post and signboards, would be wise
economy. Each county should have an
engineer, with term of Office sufficiently
long TO protect from popular caprice and
prejudice, and with compensation suffi.
clent to ensure competency. His duties