The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1883-08-17
OUR PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.

EpGEFIELD, July 23.-Thc population
OF South Carolina is, in round numbers,
about one million, or was by the Census of
1880. In the ratio Of five to one this would
give us 200, 900 voters. Now the question
is, are there as many persons liable to road
duty as there are voters The road age is
from lG to so. The voting aye is from 81
upwards. Will the class from l6 to p equal
the class from fifty upwards l should
answer in the affirmative or very nearly 50,
and if -, the number Of voters aud road
workers must be very nearly equal But
we must deduct all persons exempt from
road duty under the law. They will, pcr>
haps, number one hundred in each county
or $500. We will put the number Of sex
cmpts" at 4 200. We must next deduct all
persons of the road age in cities and towns
These we can get with rea"ouablc accuracy
from the Census Of 1880, aud amounted
then to about 1870 900, aud shall base my
estimates on the status Of ;hat year. In the
same ratio Of five to one, this would give us
10000 voters in the cities and towns, and
if my comparison is correct the same nun
bcr of road workers with TIC 4 900 'cX-
cmpts' we shall have SO, 900 to deduct from
the 200 900 leaving 10000 liable to road
duty Let us put It to 100000, These
$4,000 men are required by law to work
on the public roads mot less than three nor
more than twelve days in each year. If
they work the maximum number Of days,
and their services should be valued at one
dollar per day-and that is the price fixed
by the law makers we shall have 100 600
multiplied by twelve, amounting tC 81 .S00,-
900 for one year. Suppose they average
six days annually, the cost would be $780,
600. If dollar day is too much, then
the law is wrong. Estimate it at fifty cents
Il day and for the twelve days the value Of
tht labor would be S900,000, and for six
days SlJ0, 900.
But it may be said, doubtless will be said,
this is not sound argument or fair calcula
ton as to the annual cost of public roads ::
that the people DO this work when they can,
perhaps, do nothing else, and is contribu.
ton in kind to the public service and,
therefore, docs not cost the amounts spcci.
fled. only adopt the measure Of value
established nySS~''ir peUpte thpMseivcs
through their representatives. The labor
is worth that much, and III contemplation
Of law is expended upon the highways, and,
if 80 expended, is taken out Of Tic proiuc-
tive power Of the people OF the State, anl
is, therefore, lost to other channels.
have seen the time when road hands sun
molcd out of the field were worth dollar
4 da; to the crops, and | insist it is lcgit-
jmGto estimate in calculating the cost OF
maintaining the highways. If not bcs
towcd upon the roads this labor would or
should Le utilized elsewhere, so as to hc
worth dollar a day to the industries of
thc State. One miYiOn eight huRdrcd Mom-
send doNarS is 4 large sum of money and if
collected annually and juiiciously expended
on the public highways would work Won
dcriul change for the better. But the col>
lection of no such sum or the half or the
quarter Of it will be necessary, as think |
can demonstrate further on
This, however, is not the only item of cost
Section 1,OS7 of the General Statutes pro.
, vidcs that "Any person who shall receive
bodily injury or damage in his person or
property through defect in the repair of
highway. causcway or bridge. may recover
in an action against the county the amount
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