The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-02-06
ANOTHER STRONG RECRUIT.

Us ou lne lgnt lOr permanent SOOd
roads, and puts up strong and con-
argument in favor of the only
method of securing what we want,
what we need and what we must have
sooner or later, and the sooner the
better, viz Permanent good roads"
by taxation. Who's next? We hope
to see this matter taken ur by the
press Of the State, with determined
effort to accomplish something. No
use firing shot and falling back, but
keep or firing until victory crowns
the effort. ii by long pull, n
strong pull and a Pull altogether we
can finally secure permanent good
roads, we can hand it down to poster
ity as au heirloom.
The Ledger says
Farmers Of Cherokee county, how
do you like our public roads just
now? Would it not be better to is
sue 5000 GOO worth Of public road
bonds and build one hundred and
fifty miles OF macadam roads than to
wear out buggies and wagons, har-
ness and gears and lose so much time
on these bad roads? Let US see about
this road business. Two hundred
thousand dollars worth of these > per
cent. bonds would mean n tax Of SlO,-
900 year for interest. 1t would be
necessary to create fund to retire
these bonds at maturity. We are
now spending $4,000 a year on our
roads. If we were to lay aside SlO,-
600 year to retire these bonds and
raise $4,000 to pay the interest on
the same, that would mean 800, 900 a
year. Deduct $, 900 that we are al
ready spending and we would be re-
quired to raise Sl2 900 year to meet
this obligation. The taxable prop
erty Of the county amounts to S3,-
6Oi ,192 2l. A tax Of 81 mills on
this means that we would have the
finest Of macadam roads running
from one extreme Of the county to
the other and crossing the county at
least four or five times, if not more
III the roads were built eight feet Of
macadam and eight feet of dirt road
and law passed compelling travel
ors to use the dirt road il dry wealth
er and,-the macadam road in wet
weather, even more miles of road
could be built. Is there n man who
travels the public highways that
would hesitate to pay this tax and
take the good roads rather than be
compelled to use the roads as they
are without the taX?'
No, we honestly believe that you
could not in personal canvass iiLd
one intelligent man in ten who would
not willingly go down in his jeans to
pay the small amount that tho ad-
ditional levy would call for, if he
thought by so doing he would have
good roads to travel over. Many
would be willing to pay five times
the amount.
MIR. r. NJ. Fincher, one Of Union
county's prominent citizens, and a
member OF the county board OF dis
pensers, was in our office q few days
ago and we were discussing this ques-
ton Of permanent good roads" He
had read the article in THE TINES
and said he agreed with us as also
did every other man he had spoken
to about it. AS an illustration of the
willingness Of the people to be taxed
for "GoOD" roads, he said there were
several in the party that morning
coming to town, the wagons were
swaying and rocking, the mud was
spiashing and the teams were strain
ing as they slowly trudged along. He
asked the gentlemen, would any Of
you fellows mind paying a dollar each
to have this one road in first class
condition?' No! was the immediate
and unanimous response, while some
sad they would not mind paying five.
He replied, "then read the editorial
in iast weeks TIMES and you can see
how it can be done"
Oar legislators need not be afraid
Of the people not backing them up.
Our people do not mind paying for u
thing when they know they are goif G
to get what they pay for. They nat
urally kick when their money goes
into rat hole or rather into mud
holes. AS it is so it Will continue to