The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-25
THE GOOD ROADS CONVENTION
The Legislature Will BE Asked to
Help the Road Improvcment--W Wide
Tires for Wagons and Long Term
COnyicts to WO tn, Roads

help the Road ImprOvcment-Wi
~ Tires for Wagons and Long Ter
10 Convicts to Wo the Roads.
Is The second session of the Go,
In Roads Convention of this State W
,r held in Columbia on Wednes sday, 49,
.e INST, and there was fair represent
tion from every part OF the Stat
e Among those present were Col Thorn,
e Of Richland; King OF Darlington
e Hyatt. of Rchland Mitchell
J. Charleston Spiers of Darlington
d Lyons OF Abbeville; Majors of Greer
5 wood; Lang gford Of Lexington; Cbandle
Q and Eady OF Williamsburg Mauldi
5 o. Grcenville; Howell of Spartanburg
= Snelgrove of Anderson Gaines {
Il Elgeiield and others.
+ Coi. Thomas, president of the assC
/ citation, called the convention to order
I and in his brief address, he syoke q
S the TACT that good roads were in fac
The agents of civilization 1t is
, matte that should be pushed. If thos
/: present had energy and zeal enough b
they could carry the idea out Col
!, Thomas spoke Of the financial beneti
the people would receive by havin,
good country roads.
MIR. Wilson, the treasurer OF the as
sociation, made u report showing thai
he had paid out SLIGO This was On
OF his own pocket, no receipts having
come in.
Mr.. Hyatt moved that a committee
be appointed on resolutions. This was
agreed to, and Messrs. Mauldin OF
Greenville, Hyatt, of Rchland and
King of Darlington were appointed on
that committee.
While the committee on resolutions
was out, Col. Thomas called upon Mr.,
| nlpArpS. mem hpr nf ha /
to express his views. He replied that
he felt that the eve OF prosperity was
advancing and there was nothing more
conducive to helping along that pros
perlty than good roads AS member
OF the Legislature, he would do all in
his power to advance the interest
which the association desired to see
consummated. He thought that an &C.
tive, progressive policy was necessary.
Senator Gaines, Of Edgefield, was
called upon to give his views. He said
that the first thing to be done was to
nave per capita road tax. The law
at present is nullitied by man paying
money or working it out on the roads.
Ihe best thing is to allow the county
board to levy the tax. Let them have
the authority and not give anybody an
option.
AS to convicts, he thought it would
oe OF advantage to extend their work
on the roads. We have a lot of con-
Vlcts making five cent cotton. That
puts money in the treasury but ten
lold more would be made if they were
put to work on the roads.
AS to wide tire law. 1t will be
years before we have a system of
macadamized roads. The best thing,
therefore, to assist in securing good
roads, Is to piss a wide tire law. IN q
very few years we would see u wonder
lul Improvement in our roads and a
great saving to the people of the State.
ln reply to a question, he said that
In France. Germany and other couu-
tries OF Europe, though they had
macadam roads, still they had laws
making the use Of wide tires cOmpul-
sorry.
MIR. N. G. Gonzales spoke of the
necessity of having the tires Of GER
tain size, and pointed out what the
result would be by use of wagons with
tires Of certain diameter. Mr.. Gaines
agreed fully with him, but said that his
olll was an innovation, and he was
AFRAID that details could not be carried
out at once. AS to details, he had no
special scheme. What he wanted was
law which would do something to
improve the roads.
The committee on resolutions re-
ported favorably on the following by
MIR. Wilson:
Resolved, That the Legislature now
Iii session be requested to pass an act
authorizing the Governor to appoint a
commission OF three members to make
thorough and exhaustive examina-
tlon into the question OF road improve
mcnt in South Carolina; to determine
the conditions and needs of each coun-
ty; to inquire into the systems in use
in other States and counties; and to
report all the facts before the next
meeting Of the Legislature, together
with an outline of a general road law
for South Carolina, and that the sum
of 5000 be appropriated, If so much be
| necessary, to meet the necessary eX-
| penses OF this commission.
There was considerable discussion
over the resolution, but there was
no opposition to the general principles
of it.
Mr.. Howell, Of Greenwood, did not
| think $500 was an amount sufficient to
get members OF the committee to travel
over the State.
MIR. Wilson, ex-Licutenant Governor
Mauldin and Mr.. Gonzales pointed out
that 1T was the Intention to have these
gentlemen work only in their imme-
diate vicinity, and that 5000 would be
enough to pay expenses.
Mr.. Howell thought that 1t would
be best to have one man from each
county.
Mr.. Mitchell favored the commission
but thought its membership should
be divided between the different sec
tions OF the State-up, middle and low
country.
MIR. Gonzales suggested that sec
tions of the State would be better
, than counties.
Col. Thomas spoke of the favorable
work done for good roads In Abbeville
, lSichland and other counties, but he
thought that the Legislature should
; pass any law looking to improvement
! in roads and that the association coult
in the meantime work its own way
, hoping that the Legislature would &C
r favorably always.
, The~resolutiOn was then adopted.
The committee on resolutions sub
t mitted the following as a substitute 70
( a resolution introduced by Mr. Mitchell
0 requiring u fee to be paid for member
q ship:
S Resolved, That tho vice presid ent G
o the several counties be requested an
n urged to raise the sum Of $5 and foi
z ward the same to the treasurer to de
y fray the Legislative expenses OF thi
u session. This was adopted.
o The committee also offered the 70