The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-02-06

crease thelf taxes, Will pay them III
return ten fold, yea, Il hundred fold
not only in the comfort and conve.
nience, but in the actual saving OF
money. l do not know what the
conditions may be elsewhere, but
know in my own county the public
highways are in more deplorable
condition than they have been in my
recollection.
1t will no doubt be objected that
this bill will increase taxes and some
gentleman has said that he did not
want to leave debt to his children.
1t will increase taxes, but it will in
crease them where the people are
willing to bear the burden and where
they can see and enjoy and reap the
benefits of the money they pay.
The biggest tax the people of this
country are paying today is the mud
tax.
All [ ask ls to give the people of
each county the privilege of saying
for themselves whether or not they
desire to continue to pay this heavy
mud tax or whether they desire to
take forward step and get out of the
mud and by improving the public
roads increase the value of rural
property, make the country, as it is
by nature, the ideal place to live, and
stop the rapid depopulation of the
rural districts. That is all. Why
should we halt or hesitate when
everybody wants to see the roads i'm
provedf There is nothing more i'm
portant for this General Assembly to
do than to provide the way for the
people to do something for the i'm
provement of the public highways
After they are secured no one will
regret the cost or be willing to give
the reads in exchange for the money
spent. Proper and equal assessments
of property and good schools are all
to be desired, but first of all, and in
order to secure the best results from
these other things, we want to see
our roads improved and put in such
condition that the people may reach
their local markets and railways and
perform their public duties with
some degree of comfort and satisfac
ton, not to speak Of the saving in
time and in the wear and tear of
horses and vehicles.
| do not know how it may be else.
where, but in my own county the
largest taxpayers are the ones most
ready and willing to be taxed for
road improvement. Not only that,
but under the present system the in
corporated towns, the railroads and
the corporations contribute not one
cent to the building or maintenance
of the public highways. They would
be as much benefited as the people
who, under the present law, are re-
quired to keep them up, and, l sub
NIT, are willing to contribute their
share if you will permit them to do
it, not because they are 80 philan-
thropic in their interest in the well
fare and comfort and convenience of
the people who live in the rural dis
tricts, but because it will pay them
to do it. Some of the great railroad
systems Of this country have already
spent large sums of money in making
experiments in road building, 80 as
to encourage the people, because
they know that good highways tribu-
tary to their lines will increase their
business.
This is also matte nal question,
and the General Government has
added to the department of agricul-
ture department Of good roads in
quiry, and Mr.. Brownlee now has q
bill in Congress providing for national
aid under certain conditions. But
we must at last depend upon our
selves for this great work. 1t is true,
however, that something must be
done if we are to get the best re-
suits from the free rural mail service
which in the past few years has
grown 30 rapidly and is such con-
venience to our farmers and of 30
| great practical benefit to this coun.
| try.
The conditions Of our public high
ways il an essential factor in the Oh
tension and efficiency of this service.
| ~ 4