The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-08-09
BUTLER'S PLAN

the, public Roads goes to the
marrow of the subject, and contains
suggestions that are worthy of con-
sideration. The Senator thinks
that the proposed amendments to
the present road laws, properly
executed, would give usgood roads;
and he regards his plan as feasible
without being burdensome. We
give this extract which embodies
his plan, with the exception Of GER
tain details:
1 should first amend Section 1,084
of the General Statutes by striking
out twelve in the proviso of that
section, and inserting three; so
that it would read: provided,
That no more than three days work
are required Of any one hand in
year" And in Section 1,089 /
would strike out the words three
and "twelve'' in the,'third line and
insert in lieu thereof the words
''one'' and lssthree" respectively; SO
that this part of the section will
read ~not less than 'one' nor moEe
than three days." &C., &c. The
effect Of these amendments would
be to reduce the minimum and
maximum of working days to one
and three respectively. With these
changes, and perhaps some others
Of minor Importance, I should allow
the present law to stand, and sup
plement it by one, two or more Sec
tions embodying the following prop
| ositions:
First. / should levy tax of one
dollar a head on every able-bodied
male person liable to road duty, to
be levied and collected by the coun-
ty treasurers; to be paid out on
warrant of the county commission
ers; to be denominated a road
tax" and kept apart and dedicated
exclusively to the construction, re-
pair and maintenance Of the high
ways in the county where collected.
Second. / should provide for the
appointment by the county commits
sioners, by and with the advice and
consent Of the Senator and Repre-
sentatives Of the county then in
! Office, or a majority Of them, Of a
competent supervisor Of county
roads, whose salary should be fix
ed by law at say fifty or seventy
five dollars per month, who shall
enter into a bond with approved
sureties for the faithful discharge of
his duties and care of the public
property committed to his custody.
The county commissioners should
have power to authorize the super
| visor to organize and equip with the
necessary outfit under the direction
| of said commissioners a force of
able-bodied laborers. twenty, fifty
or one hundred, as the exigencies
may require, whose wages should be
fixed by the commissioners. and.
when fully organized and equipped
with a full complement of improved
implements, tents, wagons or carts,
mules, &C., to enter upon the con-
struction, change and repair of the
public roads, beginning at the court
house and putting in perfect repair
the first ten miles Of road leading
thereto, and extending the work
from month to month, or year to;
year, until the main highways and
thoroughfares are completed, and
then less frequented parallel and
cross roads, until every public road
in the county has been put in good
condition. -
This supervisor, with his force,
should be kept constantly at work
on the highways, and if, after once
getting the roads in good condition,
it should be found, as I have no
doubt it would be, that the head tax
provided was in excess Of the re-
quirements for maintenance it could
be from time to time reduced. The
supervisor should be indictable and
removable for any neglect of duty,
besides liable in a civil action on
his official bond for the loss, destruc-
tion or damage to any public pro-
perty in his charge. There should
be established in connection with
this and all other taxes disbursed
by the commissioners proper sys-
tenn of accountability, by requir-
ing them to submit annually to the
grand jury, on the first Monday in
March, an itemized account Of their
receipts and disbursements, and
publish the same in county paper.
Besides this, the solicitor Of the
circuit should be required to exam
inc and inspect this annual state
ment Of accounts and make writ
ten report on the same to the presid-
ing Judge at the next ensuing court
after the publication in the county
paper, that such orders may be
taken as the interest of the public
may require.
If this plan can be carried out as
as. element to existing law, how
mech money would it raise ? If /
ta15 right in my estimate of the
number of persons in the State
liable to road duty, it would give
$150,000 annually, or thereabouts,
the sums raised in each county to
be expended in the county.
Let us take Edgefeld as an
example. We have about 5000
ok.,.. -o,, ,ro L,,-o - 000 ,ooI