The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-01-15

nc SOlllu pOSoiUlS UGSib q AASeiS
slow in this matter, and the effects
resulting from her negligence are
plainly to be seen.
For the past few years there has been
a great influx Of people into our towns
and cities and these have rapidly built
up at the expense Of the surrounding
country. This is an evil which if pos
sible should be remedied, for it is
to the people Of the country, and not to
the towns and cities, that the State
must principally look for the pre-
servation of her institutions. One Of
the prime causes of this great flow OF
population into the towns and cities IS
to be found in the condition of our
public highways. In most of the coun-
ties in the State during certain sea-
sons of the year some of the roads are
altogether impossible, and all conlmu-
rication and traffic with the cities and
railroad points are cut off. Such con-
dition of affairs must work great hard
ships, especially upon the rural dis
tricts, and the people Of the rural dis
tricts compose the great majority OF
our population.
Leaving out Of consideration alto
gether the evils resulting from the con-
dition of our roads, however, and look
ness standpoint. good roads pay, and
are one of the best investments which
can. be made by a county, or State
Under our present methods Of road
building, it is necessary to rebuild the
roads after every washing rain, whl!e
if we build good. permanent roads, the
cost of keeping them in repair would DC
a. very small item in comparison tc
what our present roads are costing
In fact, the saving in not having tc
work the per1na nent roads so often
would in very short time pay fol
their building. This has been found to
be the case wherever good, permanent
roads have been built.
From the seventh annual report OF
the Commissioners of public roads for
the State of New Jersey, one Of the
leading States in the good roads move
ment, the following is taken merely
to show in what respect good roads
are held by the people who have usec
them and know Of their advantages:
THE people seem to be so wonderfully
impressed with the idea that by gooo
roads the value of land will be in
creased, transportation cheapened
travel and business attracted, schoo
houses and churches filed, and civil
lization advanced, that they are pray.
ing as earnestly for them as for great
riches. Consequently the pressure fol-
new roads is so great it seems almost
impossible to hold the people back
They are so anxious that they are
not willing to confine themselves With
in the limit or State and county ap-
propriationS. They are constantly in.
sisting upon building ahead Of the
State appropriation, in order that they
may enjoy them now
It has been estimated that 1n> A
counties in Indiana where good roads
have been built, "the average increase
in the selling price Of land, due to eX-
listing improved highways, is s6.4S pc,
acre. The estimated average increase
per acre that would. result from i'm
proving all the public roads is $500
The estimated average cost Of con-
verting the common public roads into
improved highways is s1,146 per mile
The estimated average annual loss
per 100 acres, fl ON poor roads is Si6.2S.' >
On the basis Of this calculation the
average annual. loss from poor roads
is 76 cents per acre. It will be seen
that the loss from poor roads Woulo
soon pay for the building Of good
roads, and after replacing the amount
paid for their construction, the good
roads will continue to pay.
OF course, it cannot be expected thai
sSouth Carolina should do as much as
some Of the States have done. but any
action which may be taken, looking tC
the betterrnent Of our roads, will be OF
great benefit and in the long run vii
actually save money. Most OF the
work done by our chainganSs upon the
present roads is simply thrown away
The building Of public highways is
as much of a science as railroad
building, and in order to build roads
will require, money, and in order to Sc
cure money there viii have to be pro.
vision for raising it by taxation. The
Good Roads convention, which was re-
Gently held in Greenville, passed reso-
lutions requesting the legislature that
each county be given the privilege tc
determine by election the right OF
such county to levy a tax, not to eX-
ceed 21-2 mills on the taxable property
of such county, if so much be neceS-
sary. III order to build GOOD roads, ano
that such counties as desire to do sc
be given authority to issue bonds tc
construct and maintain their public
highways and be authorized to issue
bonds upon SO deciding by county cleo
ton A resolution was also passed Al
this convention requesting the leglsla-
ture to enact such laws as will en-
courage the use OF broad tires, and also
that the county chaingangs shall be
put to work exclusively on building
good, permanent roads. These sug-
gestions. are practical business prop.
ositionS and will work great benefit
to the State if carried out, and I rec.
ommend that they Le followed.
It is most gratifying to note the in
terest which has lately been taken by
the people of South Carolina in this
subject. Most Of the counties Of the
State are awakening to a realization
Of the Importance of the subject and
much is being accomplished.
In this connection the work which
has been done and is now being done
by the Southern railway in this di-
rection deserves commendation, and nc
doubt much Of the good which has re-
suited from this awakening is due
partly to it's efforts.
Any action looking to the better
ment Of our roads which, in your
wisdom, you may see fit to take, will
be so much done toward the promo
ton Of the general prosperity of the
people. Whatever plan you adopt
should be efficient, economical and
equita bic. And that you should adopt
some plan is patent to every thought
full citizen.
CHILD LABOR.
In my last message I directed your
attention to the importance of giving
careful consideration to the question
Of child labor in our manufacturing
establishments With the rapid growth