The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-11-18
Good Roads in the South.

q No movement Gaining Tor popular
aid dorcooperative assistance on the part
sof legislative and commercial bodies
hes made such .apid progress In so
short time as the good reads move
raeut II the South. While 6his move
ment is general tlaougheut the country
and seems to be attracting all elements
TO lis support, In the SouEh, where
great natural resources are being de-
veloped at an unprecedented rate, and
sEhere facilities FOR transportation are
81 matter Of immediate, pressing con-
rern, largely made so during the past
three years, this subject Of improved
country highways is taking deeper root
sssIIss the people than IN most other
sections.
ahe commerce Of the world comes
pnmarily from the ground and as
rule the cost of Transporting o produces,
IS relatively higher in the initial stage
from the field or mine to the rail-
road. river .oe canal-than in any
other part OF It's journey to the worlds
markets. The most expensive and the
most oppressive kind Of transportation
IS wagon transportation, where 1t is
accomplished over bad roads, but this
fact is often lest sight of by communi-
sies which address themselves to the
work of collecting alleged inequalities
IN the freight rates charged by rail
road and steamboat companies.
village in the West, which had
It's own peculiar grievance touching
freight rates, was so situated that all
the incoming freight delivered by tnt
Local railroad had to be hauled up a
steep hill IN wagons. on which only
half of an ordinary load could be
drawn. This condition was COM
placently submitted to for number OF
years, when it occurred to somebody to
suggest that the point Of attack might
be pro6tabiy shifted from the railroad.
cor its attitude O. the subject OF freight
rates, te this bill.
When this suggestion @#as acted
nbas, finally, resulted In the cutting
down OF the grade, the reduction In
rost OF local carriage one half, and
CORRESPONDING saving ia cost OF trans
ncrtation greater than could possibly
have resulted had the railroad granted
all that was asked, the business men
af this village realized that they had
been guilty Of an error OF omission IN
not having figured. at an earlier day,
the cost of trssportation to and from
the doors of their stores and ware
houses instead of between stations on
the railroad. and that it is possible for
q short piece of neglected wagon road
to- be an important adverse factor IN
+he relations of their community with
distant markets.
The encouragement given to the
good road movement in the Sontn by
the Southern Railway, beginning in
1901. when it cooperated with the
Tinted States Agricultural Depart
rnent aud the National Coos Roads
Association in an expeditionsos build
ING cpject-lesson roads in tbs South
eastern sections of the country, is a
consistent part of the policy which aims
at the development Of its territory;
In recent years SO much has been done
4o nerfect traffic relations between
Southern Railway points and all the
great commercial centres, not only Of
This country but of the world, that II
is simply logical to extend the system
Of economical distribution OF product:
tn the home Of the farmer, and the way
TO accomplish this is through The
Improvement of the country wagor
roads.
One of the most promising ans
gratifying features Of Southern devei
.onnnent today is the activity displayet
: by commercial bodies in promotln'
nad building in the country, assunl
no part of 5be burdens in many ia
stances, and thus recognizing what ha
been SO long largely ignored-th
mutual interest and interdependence
sown and coantry i'll one OF Ohe mos
;mportant movements Of the time
Southern Field for November.
Washington, Nov. 13.-Secretar
Hay has received a cablegram fror
W;,;sta1. ResBnre. dated Bogota, Nov