The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-08-02
ThC Road Law,

hcc0 cmlErants. NJ. II.
-----a 3
Tho Road Law.
AS there seems to be considerable
agitation IN the county over the road
question, permit mo to say Il few
things about the road law. The road
law which went iuto effect on Janu.
ary lst OF this year is The same law
they have in Anderson and GrcenviIle
counties and in other counties Of the
State, and i'll those counties they have
good roads. The law 10" this year
requires all able bodied male persons
between the ages Of Is and 50 to puy
a commutation tax of 81 or work on
the public roads 3 days and 10 hours
each day. 1t also requires tho fiucs
and forfeits collected from all sources
to bo used on tho public roads. IT.
also requires every convict whose sen.
tencc is for 5 years and under to be
worked on the public roads. 1t also
authorizes the Supervisor and Com.
missioners to levy, if necessary, rs
much as one mill on property for road
purposes. This last law wus passed
in 1896 and has been on tEr statute
books ever since.
Will this work the roads? Let us
see: Up to the lst Of July, 1900
Treasurer YounShiood had collected
money as follows: From ono dollar
commutntion Tux, 81 lGl; From fines,
forfcits, etc, 1862 81. Total, 1929
So. If hands are paid Soc per day
this means 30lS d.ys work for one
hand in tue county.
Counting only those between the
nScs OF 81 and 80 to be liable tD roud
"uiy we have $3.50 hands,, Qor there
n.o that number who pay poll tax,
then subtract the l,lGl from tho
$500 and we havo LETT 1880 hands
IN the county who have not paid md
who are liable 10 perform 80 hours
work cnch. Tho 1889 hands not pu;l
multiplied hy three civua J,0!7 daya
lnUro ior ono hund in the county.
AYcrnHi Jug Ihn convict camp N Ii
hands rn'l BIB working days in n year
| 80 hnyo 1,l3o days more for one
hand in tn" county; or, Il total Of TO-.
l93 day" work for one hand this vcnr
in the county. Divide that number
of days among ten hands and it gives
1.0l9a days. Divide this among 8
townships and it gives l27 days work
for ten bands, ten hours day, in
each township, or in other words 1t
gives employment for ten hands in
each township for four months and
% days, which lacks 8 days Of being
S months work;
In this calculation not cent on
property ls counted nor anything for
those liable to rund duty between the
ages Of Is and u, and there arc
about 800 between these ages liable
to road duty, and which would give
us about 1000 days more But I
have not c,uutcA them in because
Thought it would il" tuir to bu!anrc
their work against the loss of timo ON
account ui wet Weather AMI other
causes CT lhc convlr;s.
| believe that if We had a good
road machine it would, with the Ia
Dor of the cham gang wo,k half thc
roads in the county any and every
year. If SO, will not The one dollar
or three days (Which is equivalent 10
two dollars on SIX days in the whclc
county, work the roads in the other
half OF the county! l think SO. If
am right about this we would then
have the fines, etc, to throw in for
good measure. In addition to the
81 1923 81 mentioned above, the Coun.
ty Treasurer since the first of July
has collected other money 10y why Of
fines and will in all probability col.
Icct NOR" during tho year.
Before ] close desire to correct a
report which is being circulated in
some sections of tho county, and TINT
is that the last Legislature through
the members from this county
changed the auditors salary 50 ns t,
require the county to pay part Of it.
TEis is not true. Tho Auditor gets
all his salary out Of the Stale tr.as.
ury. An attempt was made by mem.
bers from other counties to make this
and other counties pay part Of the
auditors salary and we fought and
voted against it and the bill wns
killed by conference committee.
Respectfully,
G. T.. ROBINSON.