The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-08-16
Our Public HIGHWAYS.

SDaEEiEbD, July 24.-liaving peinicd
out what l coiceived 10 be the defect In the
road law or tkis state, and estimated rs best
| could with the data in my possession the
1 approximate cost of nminteuahuo, | shall
now submit Propositions which think will
greatly strengthen and improve tho law AZ
! IL now stands.
I should ii,st amend Srotyn ,0s4 Of the
General Statutes by striking out "twelve"
| in the proyiso OF that section, aud insert inc
"thrce," 60 that il wouid rcnd: "Provide ed
! that not more than three days work are
required Of any one hand in u year" And
In Section l,080 would strike out the
words three" and "twelvc" 10 the third
| line and Insert in lieu thereof the words
'onc' and 'Hhrce' respectively; so that
ihis part or the section will rend "not less
than 'ono' nor more than three DAYS" &c
&c. The effect of these amendments would
be 10 reduce the minimum and maximum Of
working days TO one and three respectively.
with these changes, and perhaps some 9TH
ers OF minor Importance, | should allow the
pfeseht law to stahd, and supplement il by
one, Two or more sections cmbcdyfnp The
following propositions:
First, 1 should levy n Tux Of one dollar n
head on every able bodied male person lia
bic to road duty, to be lcvied and collected
by the county treasurers; 10 6U paid on, on
warrant Of the county commissioners, to
6c dcnVm'nntcu q ''rond tax" and kept a.,
part and dcdicmted exclusively TO the con
struc''on, repair and maintenance Of the
highways in the county where collected,
Second. should provide for the appoint
mcnt by the county commissioners, by md
with the advice and consent of tho Senm or
anu Representatives Of the county then in
oihcc, or minority of them, of n compel cnt
supervisor OF county roads. whose salary
should bc fixed by law Mt sny fifty or seventy
hVe dollars per month, who shnll enter jnio q
BOND with approved surcties for the faith
ful discharge of his duties aad care of the
Puoi'c property cOmmitted TO his Gust ody.
The county cpmmiss ohcrs should have
power to authorize the supervisor 10 organ
'zc and equip with the necessary out fit and, ,
the direction of snid commissioners force OF
n"le bodied lnborers, twenty, fifty or one
huh"r.d. MS the exigencies mny require
whose wages should be fixed by the commits
sloners, aud when fully organized and
equipped with a full complement of i'm
proved implements, tents, wagons or Cart
mules, &c, TO enter upon the construction
change and rcpnir Of the public roads, be.
ginning Mt the courthouse and putting IN
| perfect repair the first ten miles of road
leading thereto, and extending the work from
month TO month, or year to yonr, until tn,
main highways md thoToughinrcs nrc COM
p'cted, and then less trequcntcd parallel an,
cross roads, until every public rond in tn,
county has been put in good condition
This supervisor, with his force, should b,
kept constantly nt work on the highway!
and 1t, after once getting the roads in goo,
condition, il should bc found, ns have n,
doubt il would he, that the hcnd tax pro
vdcd was in excess Of the requirements fo
maintenance it, could be from time to tim,
reduced. The supc, visor should be indlct
able and removable for any neglect ofdnty
besides linble in civil aclion on his oilicin
bond, for the loss destruction or damage /,
any public property in his charge. Thcr,
should be established in connection will
this aud all other taxes disburscd by Tn,
commissioners proper system of account
ability, by requiring them 10 submit annu-
ally to the grand jury, on the first Monday
III March, an iicmizcd account of their re
ceipis mud disbursements and publish Tn,
snme in county paper. Besides this, the
solicitor of the circuit should be required /,
examine aud inspect tins annual Statement
OF accounts and make n written report or
-"'''''" '"'i"n the no