The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-08-23

which would be permanent structures,
obviasing the need Of wooden ones
which have to be constantly repaired to
the great expense Of taxpayers.
l. has been urged io come quarters
that it would be urwise to turo over
toe bulk Of the coEviots to the county
authorities, as the cost of maiDteDance
would be too great Il is even said
that county ohslngangs cost more than
they are worth. Is this so ? Ii our
county of Ricbland may be taken as aD
example answer unbesisatingly, No.
The changing system was established
10 this county in July. 1895. Oar tax
levy for all county purposes for 1890 81
was 81 mills 9l-2, 81 mills 90 3.
81 mills SO 4, 81 mills 81 5. 8 8 5
mills 96, 81 mills 81, 81 mills SO.
81 mills 50. 81 mills. So you will
see by comparison OF tax lsvies for
the pas. eight or pine years that our
county taxes have been no higher-ia-
deed for some portion Of the times bave
been lower-since the adoption Of the
ohaingacg system than they were be.
fore, aud yet more and better work has
been done on the roads Of the county
since its adoption than had been done.
I venture TO say, in 25 years before. 1t
is true that the levy from ;9G to '95
produced surplus over aud above the
annual expenditures of those years, and
that this surplus has been since expend-
ed, bat 1t vas expended in the purchase
of machinery, ohaingang plant. macsd.
am work and court house and jail i'm.
proyements, SO that the expenditure of
our past eurp,us does not in the least
affect the point l wish to make, which
is that changing does not per Sc io-
crease county expenses. The weak
po;n. of the syssem is that the gangs
are too small at present to cover much
territory, and people grow impatient for
its coming to their doors.
The average per diem ccst of main
taiuing our chaiogaDg exclusive CT cost
Of plant) is 20 cents per capita. am
told that iI some counties it costs
somewhat mose, bat this is the average
cost to US, as our changing bills will
SHOW. Now sbis, let it be remembered,
is the cost for cur present small gangs.
The larger the gang the less the per
capita rate would be, as is shown at
the State peni.entiary, where, according
to the report of Col. Neal made some
years ago, 8 thousand cenvic,s cao be
dieted 6. 9 cents per capita.
No secsible maa advocates the abol-
ition Of the peniten.iary. 1t is aud al
ways will be State necessity. ALL that
the friends of the good roads movement.
ass is that instead of farming 30 ezten-
sisely With coDvicts more Of them should
be put at work on our public roads. Is
such desire aa improper or an eS:raV,
sgant one Z
Good roads and good bridgea are we'll
worth working for. aod the State hiss
spoken With no uncertain sound IN favor
of having them. While continuing
your advocacy Of such needed improve,
meuts let me hep, that you will keep
up the 6ght against The narrow tired
wagon. for, as has been we'll said by a
writer on the subject, "Nezt 10 water
the greatest enemy Of all good roads is
the narrow tired wagon. !" for it forms
ruts which make trough FOR the rain,
which instead of ruouipg eff the side
as it should remains to sink IN the road
way apd soften it. The vide tire. CD
the contrary, instead Of forming rus
rolls aud hardsps the road surface. and
susd experience as [ have bad 10 road
makiog bas convinced me that il the
wide-tired wagon should entirely super
sede the narrow tire. tue expense OF
road repair will be very materially
reduced S. Il Owens,
County Supervisor, Rich!aud Go.
Columbia, Aug II, 1899