The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-12-05
A PLEA FOR BETTER ROADS
The Preseut Road Laws Are Not
Worthy of the Southern States.

| "oilhy ol the y outncfu states.
Montgomery (\la.) Advertiser.
That the "good roads" " train aud
the convention Of good roads advocates
coming TO Montgomery will be ot'
benefit is not to doubted. There Will
be with us men who have made il busi-
ness of matchmaking and who arc fitted
both from, study and by practical cx-
pcricncc, to educate our ncopl, on a
subject about which there is cc,la,nlv
much to be learned. We arc behind
most parts of the civilized world IN
this respect, and the tune has come
when we cannot afford longer 10 re-
main behind other progressive com.
munitics.
III has often been remarked that the
peasants of France owe much of their
prosperity to the ease and facility with
which they can market tho products of
| their little farms. We have seen thc
statement, on what appears to be good
authority, that Il palr of the Briltluy
horses can pull from three To five tons
over one Of the roads in the vicinity OF
the llrge cities. This would be The
equivalent of twelve to twenty bales Of
cotton.
Compare this with conditions which
cXlst in Tins country, and with which
our farmcts generally are familiar
While, under favorable circumstances.
a pair Of mules may pun three or ,oul
bales OF cotton, it is well known that
Two balos will be 4 ia: average fol oar
county roads, ;tnd sometimes one is
sufficient to tax the strength and en-
durancc OF two mules or horses.
The Southern Railway, in proyilinu
FOR running it's "good rcnd, tram "
through the Southern country, IS doing
this entire section service, hu, our
own people must meet II ha t way and
take advantage Of the opportunity fuY
getting information which will hc pre-.
| scntcd. AS s"Thc Chattanooga Times"
rcmarks, il our part OF the country SIS
ever TO have any roads worthy Of IA
truly civilized count. =, they must br
got through some pOLcntiahiv o.hcl
than the State governments. Thcr
| isn'L road law on the statute books
of amy Southern State that-is worth the
paper it is printed on"
| This may be Il little severe, !;;t there
Is too much truth in IT.. Our road laws
arc not effective, whether the fault be
III the laws themselves or in the man.
| nCr OF their CnfOrCcmGnt--Or nOn-vn-
i"rccmcnt. They keep the roads in
passablc condition, and that is al
That is, the roads can he Travelled, hu'
ii would be Il gross rXawurration
speak of them rs good roads even a
their most favorable times. The pou
| II 1.I il, liza,
-\labamn, even II they mc impo cd ~
c"l'cctcd, are only sufficient to alrHc
men who have plenty nf time and til
money. In other c,scs the citizen ha,
rather pay the small pcna'iy than IT.
The work, and then the roads suffer.
These who live III AND al ioiui ~ hi,
city have had some ohjcct'ln: onS " TIN
Il recent period that j! world be well fu
all citizens Of A'abanI' to see. The,
have seen wagons coming into tow.
over the good roads lately built. Ioadc,
in Il way that nobody would have crcl
dreamed OF few years ago. A wagon
coming in from The praii.c regions
OF montgomery County with len ri
twelve bales OF cotton on il 1a pal
pablc and indisputablc evidence Of th,
advantage of having Highways mad,
on scientific and enduring linc", and
the time must come when such rO" Is
rs We have, or better ones, will be She
inlG nj over the - &c. We hope She
road convention WI be well attended
and that it will he composed of nlclii
gent and obscl wing citizens, who ca,
understand and appreciate the iniol .nr
ton which will be at 'hrir dn pos"l
and can make GOOD use Of what they
i l'' vi.