The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-03-11
ROADS AND BRIDGES.

The civilization of any community, It IS
said, may be judged by its roads and br1dg-
es. We will not attempt to draw frcI the
above premises any conclusions relative to
Clarendon county, but We desire to lay De
fore our board OF county commissioners q
plan for giving this county first class roads
md bridges ct lower rate Of tax-Ion than
now exists. We have nothing new or start
ling to suggest, but with the same laws and
machinery now in force, We propose show
ing that the best posslble results may accrue
without additional cost.
Naturally We may conclude that the rail
roads are worked and kept in repair by the
best system. With them as our model, we
give our plans.
Let the county commissioners employ
two, three, or more gangs of hands, each
gang consisting of one experienced, reila-
Bile. and trustworthy person as foreman
and eight or ten common hands. FURNISH
each gang with one or two mules and CARTS
necessary tools, camping outfit, ratlons, etc.
and require each gang to put ID o tuiI day S
work every day: Let the pay be snfneient
To insure good foreman, for on him every
thing depends; and If the foreman is at all
negligent of his duty promptly discharge
him and put another in his place. At first
we would suggest two gangs for roads and
one gang for bridges, each gang working
separately, except in emergencies When all
hands might be concentrated.
But already we hear the ever ready ,ques-
tion-but the money? That IS equally as
simple. The law allows commutatlon tax
of s. for each person liable to road duty
otherwise each person be required to Work
the public roads twelve days during tne
year. We do not know the number OF ROAD
hands in this county, but feel sure there
are not less than 5000. with probability
that there are 1000. This at 81 each Tonld
give sc, 900, or probably S.. 600, and So,ooo a
q yesr iudiciously expended would Keep our
roads and bridges 10 excellent order: Let
the county commissioners tx the road outy
at ten days real work, a few hands to be sum
1noned out at time and required 10 Torh
under the paid overseers. who shall De
specially charged not to receipt to any one
for read duty until he has done his ten tuI
dsys' hard work. The oorsei. .uence WALL be
that nineteen out Of every twenty Will pay
his 81 before he will work the ten days on
the road. The commutation tax thus rea-
hzed will be not less than So,oOo. sum
sufficient to keep the three gangs on the
road all the year, eritaout one cent o. 1oSes
specially collected for this pi 'oSe.
Working under such system our roads
would at once be improved, and IN a lew
years we would have roads lndlcauve OF 8
high grade Of civilization. But as we SAID
above, much would depend on the ethclen-
cy Of the foreman, and the only plan to ioi-
low would be to select none but suitable
foremen, and TO discharge one as soon as ne
got careless and negligent.
The present plan of working roads IS q
stupendous piece Of humbuggery. The
hands come out at ten or eleven o'clock.
stand around and exchange tobacco and
swap knives for an hour or two, playtully
handle tool few seconds, take couple
OF hours for dinner, discuss love and poll
tics an hour and half, think about work
Eve minutes, and then knock of for the
day. No wonder we have poor roads under
such system! Under our plan, however,
there viii be no chance for such shlrklng.
L will be to pay s2 Communication tax, or to
soork ten hours day along with the hired
workmen for ten days. There might be a
little kicking at first but in short time
every one would be perfectly delighted with
the plan.
There is nothing new. nothing startling
in all this; it has common sense and expert
ence as foundation; the best results as an
incentive; and We earnestly hope our coun-
Sy commissioners will give the matter care
Snl consideration, and at once put it into
-,rsckScol nparot1oO