The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-01-08
THE GOOD ROADS PROBLEM
Mayor folly Favors Federal Aid as
Suggested In Greenvil1e.

Il ~ oktOhttSh VI thO tiHOh VA FL
State :
To the Editor of The News ant
Courier: L have read with some in,
terest a recent article in your paper
from DIR. ID. a. j.. B IL, of Palksville
concerning the Good RAIDS Conven
ton held in Greenville, and L would
like to add some words Of my own.
L regard the convention hell liz
Greenville as having been IN many re.
spects the most important held in this
State within recent years. 1t was i'm
portant, not 80 muchin point of imme.
date visible results, but on account OF
its aims and purposes and the ultimate
good that will be accomplished, and on
account of the representative class of
men who were IN attendance. The i'm
%portance, the necessity, of good roads
cannot be over-estimated, but has too
long been undercstimated by the peo-
pie Of the State, and it is hopeful and
encouraging to see such an awakened
and widespread interest being taken in
the subject. 1t is very gratifying TO
see at Greenville such men as Gen. M.
G. Butler, the Hon. A. L. Smyth, of
Charleston, Mr.. F. III. Hyatt, of Colum-
bia {; Ex-Governor Mauldin and Solicit
tor Ansel, of Greenville ; the Hon. D..
g. Hayward, of Walterboro; Congress
man A. q. Latimer, and many county
supervisors and municipal officers from
different parts of tho State-men of all
classes of political opinions and of all
walks of life-met together for n com-
mon purpose. L say it was an encour-
ing sign and great and lasting good is
bound to come out of it.
L think one of the most important.
actions of the Convention was the
adoption of q resolution asking our
Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress to work for Federal appropria-
tions for the improvement of public
highways on the same plan that APP
preparations are o made for the i'm
provement of rivers and harbors. 1t
cannot be denied that good public
highways are as necessary to the well
fare and growth of the country as i'm
proved rivers aud harbors, and that a
vastly greater number of people will
be benefited thereby.
1t may be argued by some that it
would be too great an undertaking for
the government to go into the business
of improving the public roads. Here
are some facts that will completely
this objection (: When it was
first proposed, some ten or fifteen years
ago, to give the people of the country
free mail delivery such as enjoyed by
the people of the cities The idea was
to scorn. 1t was declared that
it would bankrupt the government.
Yet the rural mail delivery system is
going into operation all over the coun-
try. and wherever it has been tried
it has been found to wolk sue
cessfulIy. There is but slight in
crease in the cost over the old system
of having many country postofllces,
with the star route mail riders, and in
cases inc cost Is even less and
the service is vastly improved. In
Anderson County there are now some.
thing like twenty daily rural mail
There Is no farmer in the coun-
try who lives further than two miles
from a daily delivery route and he a
have his mail delivered wherever he
places his box, while the majority of
the farmers have their mail delivered
every day at their doors. 1 have not
the exact figures at hand, but l am told
that the system is practically self.sus-
and that the free delivery sys-
tenn, instead Of beng a burden, is
really if anything a saving over the
old method.
I do not believe that Federal appro~
priations for public road improvements
will prove at all burdensome, but that
il will be the wisest possible expendi-
ture of money. In addition to the good
it will do III developing the interior of
the country it will distribute some of
the government appropriations among
a class of people who have never le-
ceived any of the benefits of it and
where 1t will do the most good. A
small appropriation could be made for
Federal roadbuildlng say In each coun.
ty, and this, supplemented by State
and county and possibly even town
ship aid, would in a short time give to
the people of this country such a sys-
tom of public highways as the world
has never seen.
L was greatly impressed with this
scheme when it was proposed at Green
vile and 1 have thought about it q
great deal since. The more L think
about it the more heartily in favor of
it do l become. 1 believe it will meet
with the approval of any mar who will
give 1t consideration. lhope The News
and Courier and the other papers of the
State will take up the question and
agitate it, and / want to see Sem
ators and Representatives in Congress
comply with the resolution adopted at
Greenville.
1 hope there will be a large atten
dance at the meeting of the Good
Roads Convention which 10 to be held
IN Charleston on February 8. Every
one who was at G%reenville should 60
to Charleston and so many more as can
possibly do so.
The question of good roads vitality
concerns the whole State and III we
will continue the good work commenced
at Greehville much practical good can
be accomplished. q. f. folly.
1t has just be- n announced that Con.
H.. w. Carpenter was tho donor of the