The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-03-03
Tt,e MsralL anl =3nr2r*
FOR BETTER ROADS.
Il. II. AUI.I., l;DIToR.

quirer, signing himself }. +. H., writing
on this subject suggests, in view OF the
fact the Legislature failed to 90 any
thing for road improvement, that the
people of each township meet during |
the month Of March and select delegates
to a county road convention to be held
at Yorkville on the first day Of April. |
The convention to make suggestions |
and recommendations to the county |
commissioners as to various matters |
pertaining to the roads, and especially |
DIS to the employment Of the convict |
force of the county.
The Legislature refused to do any
thing for the Improvement of the public |
roads and not only that but refused to |
give to the people of each county the
privilege to say for themselves whether
or not they desired to do anything to
better the condition of the public roads. |
We tried to get the Legislature to per
nit the people of each county to vote
on the question of issuing bonds to
permanently improve the roads but
the members seemed to be afraid to
trust the people. The good roads con-
vention which met in Columbia on
dorsed the plan we had in bill and
sent memorial to the Legislature
along the same line and in fact, with
a few changes, endorsed another bill
which was introduced by the editor Of
The Herald & News along with the
memorial and is now ON the calendar Of
the House and will come up for con
sidcration at the next session. We
hope the people in each county who
realize the Importance and value OF
good roads in the various counties will
keep up the agitation the present year
and thus help the good work Of getting
some needed legislation.
The supervisors Of the various cOun-
ties could do a great deal more with the
chain gangs if they were put ON pcrma-
ncnt work instead Of doing the kind Of
work that is now. being done. The
chain gangs should not be hauled about
over the county but should be put
to work on permanent road building
starting from the county scat as the
geographical centre and building out
the main roads in each direction 50 as
to give to all sections the benefit Of
their work at the same time. If only
a mile or two each year was made it
would be something that would last.
Our chain gang in this county costs us
about $1,000 Il year to maintain and
without criticizing the SUPERVISOR under
the present plan it is almost a waste of
money. We would like to see change
and the plan we suggest given trial.
That is the plan pursued by the super
visor of Richand and every public road
leading out from the city Of Columbia
is in good condition, either sand and
clay mixed or macadam. This work
has been done by utilizing the chain
gang on permanent work. When a
camp is once established it is economy
to keep the camp until the roads nearby
are put in good condition. Too much
time is wasted in moving from one
section of the county to another and IT
is not only waste Of time but is OK
pcnsivc.
This same correspondent says Il farm
er operating twenty-cight mules told
him: 81 will contribute one hundred
pounds of lint cotton per plow each
year for five years for good roads in
my township if others will do halr as
much. And | will consider my invest
ment will return me twenty-five per
cent. per annum during the five years
And he might have added for many
years thereafter and as long as there
were good roads all the year
round in his township. Now this
farmer was not talking sentiment. but
good hard common sense and good busi-
ness sense at the same time. There is
no investment the farmers could make
that would pay as good dividends to
them and directly to them as money
spent in the permanent improvement
OF the public roads Of the county. It
will pay them in the Increased
value of their lands, in the saving Of
time, in the wear and tear of their
stock and vehicles, to say nothing of
the comfort and pleasure to be derived
from good roads
We wish some live progressive far
mer would take hold of the matter in
this county and call township meet
ings and county convention with
delegates from each township. We
cannot build roads by talk but we must
first get upa sentiment in favor of the
movement and then we can gc, the
necessary legislation.
We believe the best way and the
only way in fact to build roads SO that
the present generation may enjoy some
of the benefits is by issuing bonds and
appointing a County Good Roads Com
mission to have charge of the work
and see that it is properly done and the
money judiciously expended We have
issued bonds for railroads, some of
which were never puilt, but bonds for
roads would be worth ten times to the
tu what ho