Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-16
MisfelIanepns &eadima.
OUR PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
SENATOR BUTLERS PLAN FOR IMPROVING
THE ROADS,


SENATOR BUT1ER,s PLAN FOR IMPROVING
THE ROADS.
EDGEFIELD, July 24.-Having pointed
out what conceived to be the defect in the
road law of this State, and estimated as
best could with the data in my possession
the approximate cost of maintenance, shall
now submit propositions which think will
greatly strengthen and improve the law as
it now stands.
should first amend Section l,0S4 of the
General Statutes by striking out twelve"
in the proviso of that section, and inserting
"three;" so that it would read: "Provided,
That not more than three days work are
required of any one hand in a year." And
in Section 1,0S9 would strike out the words
"three" and "twelve" in the third line and
insert in lieu thereof the words zone" and
'three' respectively; so that this part OF
nor more than three days." &C., DC. The
effect of these amendments would be to re-
duce the minimum of working days to one
and three respectively. With these changes,
and perhaps some others of minor impor-
tance, | should allow the present law to
stand and supplement it by one, two. or
more sections embodying the following
propositions: -,
First. I should levy tax of one dollar
a head on every able,bodled male PIso1 person
liable to road duty, to be levied and collect
ed by the county treasurers; to be paid out
on warrant of the county commissioners;
to be denominated a "road tax" and kept
apart and dedicated exclusively to the con-
structiOn, repair and maintenance OF the
highways in the county where collected:
Second. 1 should provide for the appoint,
ment by the county commissioners, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senator
and Representatives of the county then in
Office, or a majority of them, of a compe-
tent supervisor Of county roads, whose
salary should be fixed by law at say fifty or
seventy-fve dollars per month, who shall
enter into bond with approved suretles
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 neces-
miSsioners a force of able-bodied laborers,
twenty, fifty or one hundred, as the exi-
gencies may require, whose wages should
be fixed by the commissioners, and when
fully organized and equipped with full
complement of improved implements, tents,
wagons or carts, mules, &C., to enter upon
the construction, change and repair OF the
public roads, beginning at the courthouse
and putting in perfect repair the first ten
miles of road leading thereto, and extend
ing the work from month to month, or
wear to year, until the main highways
and thoroughfares are completed, and then
less frequented paralleled 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 l have no
doubt it would be, that the head tax pro-
yided was in excess of the requirements for
reduced. The supervisor should be lndlct-
able and removable for any neglect OF duty,
besides liable in civil action on his official
bond, for the loss, destruction or damage to
any public property in his charge. There
should be established in connection with
this and all other taxes disbursed by the
commissioner proper system OF account
ability, by requiring them to submit an
nually to the grand jury, on the first Mon
day in March, an itemized account OF thelr
receipts and disbursements, and publish the
same in county paper. Besides this the
solicitor of the circuit should be required to
examine and inspect this annual statement
of accounts and make a written report on
the same to the presiding 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.
For the collection of this tax l should re-
quire the county commissioners to have pre-
pared a duplicate list of persons liable to
road duty in their respective counties, to be-
revised from year to year in the month OF
June, one to be furnished to the county
treasurer by which to collect the tax, one to
be kept on file in the office Of the county
commissioners. And when the county treas
urer reports to the commissioners list of
delinquents they should have authority and
should be required by law to arrest said de-
linquent and deliver him to the supervisor,
to be worked with his squad in the same
manner and under the same regulations as
his hired laborers, for the space OF three
days, and for failure to comply with these
regulations while so engaged should be liza
BILE to Indictment as for misdemeanor on
the affidavit of the supervisor of the county
commissioners, or either Of them and pun
ished accordingly. 1t seems to me that this
would give the public officers power enough
to enforce the provisions Of such law as L
suggest, and the penalties are not harsh or
unreasonable. OF course there would be
found some cOntumaciOus persons upon
whom they would appear to bear hard; put
no man who wants to do his duty to the
public would complain.
If this plan can be carried out as supple
ment to the existing law, how much money
would it raise? If am right in my esti-
mate of the number of persons in the State
liable to road duty, it would give 1000
annually or threabouts, the sums raised in
each county to be expended in that county.
Let us take Edgefeld as an example. We
have about 5000 voters say we have 1000
road hands. Assuming that the full tax of
81 head should he collected, we would
have $1,000 annually. Of this sum, per-
haps $4,000 would be expended the first
year in an outfit and for wages, &C., leaving
IS, 600 to be laid out on the roads. (Just
here 1 should like to have the number of
public highways in this county, SO that l
could make some calculation as to how far
this money would 60 in it's relation to the
whole number of miles, but regret to say
the information is not at handy
It is safe to say, however, that with an
average expenditure of twenty dollars mile
the roads can be put in first-rate order;
some sections costing perhaps fifty or seven
ty dollars, others not more than five or ten
dollars per mile, so that the $4,000 would
improve 250 miles of road. The second
year, having an outfit, there would be a
larger fund available for the roads, and in
five years. time every road in Edgefeld
county would be in good condition, and af-
ter that easily kept up at slight cost.
Perhaps in arranging the details of this
measure it would be necessary in the larger
counties to provide for more than one super
visor, and other changes might be found