The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-12-15

one III WHICH every Ihno
IS ~ a liant of the country is per-
I l. + sonally interested. Unless
.osr he produces on his farm
every article he uses, unless he re-
ceiyes no mail, pays no taxes and never
ventures beyond the bounds of his own
property, he is affected in the spot
tenderest to US all--his pocketbook-
by the condition of the country roads.
He pays more taxes to keep up Dau
roads than he would to maintain good
roads. If he receives mail it costs the
Government-and this means the peo-
Dle-more to carry it oTer bad roads
than good roads. If he travels beyond
his own property it takes more OF MS
time. which is money, and more out OF
his team over bad roads than Sood
ones. 1t costs him more on account
of bad roads 10 market produce. This
extra cost must be added to the cost
Of production, and the man who buys
the article must pay the difference.
1t costs lust as much to grow bushel
of wheat or corn near 4 good road as
beside a bad one, but il on the bad
road the producer can only haul two-
thirds of the load with the same team
that he can on the GOOD one his cost
Of marketing his wheat or corn IS nifty
per cent. more than it otherwise would
be and the man who buys the wheat
or corn must pay that much more.
And wheat or corn, oats or cotton, beer
or wool, the same thing applies. IL
all the roads are bad, all the producers
labor under the same disadvantage.
and the manufacturer pays the farm
er the extra price and then charges
the farmer higher price in his turn
for the manufactured articles to make
up for it.
The proiieu. seems capable OF but
single solution. To the average 1arm-
or the word bond is terrifying, but
it need not be. We all ask credit OF
our neighbors daily in some form OF
other, either as to our statements, rep
utations or financial affairs. Judge
Thayer says: The business Of CIVIL
lied world is done on the credit sys-
tenn" The business of barbarism is
transacted on the cash plan. The
SOC, ZOO, 900 people who get in debt have
food to eat, clothes to wear and places
in which to sleep. The JOO,OOO,OOo
who do not possess sufficient conn-
dence in themselves to trust one an
other never tasted -four or beef, go
naked and sleep out OF doors. AcuTity,
prosperity and thrift are the natural
fruits of mutual dependence on one
another, coupled with the legend i
promise to pay"
As an illustration: man owns
city lot worth say $1,000; his income,
above his family expenses, is $500 an
nually. He wishes 10 improve the lot
so that instead Of its being an expense
to him he can get something ont OF 1t.
He is prejudiced against going in debt,
so he builds just as rapidly as his $o00
per year will permit, and at the emu
of ten years has 4 $4,000 property,
which has cost him $1,000, and which
he can rent for $3.50. Now, had he not
been so prejudiced against going in
debt, he might have borrowed the So
600 at six per cent, erected the build
ins in three months, and by the end OF
ten years not only DGid off the loan
but had from $500 TO $4,000 in hand.
Adding to this his loss rentsi. interest,
etc. makes his contribution to pref
udice against going in debt $1,000 10
$500.
The illustration applied to building
roads shows the difference in results
between going in debt for money to
build roads and building them from
the annual road taxes. Only the man
who put up the building had some
thing to show 1T the end OF ten years
for the money invested, while the peo-
pie who pay road taxes have little or
nothing at the end Of ten years, or at
the end of any other period, to show
for their money.
There are many times when the de-
moraliZed condition of the business OF
this country can be traced directly 10
bad roads. Hard times, dull times, Ia
Dor unemployed, fluctuating prices, re-
duced railroad earnings, spasmodlc
speculation in stocks, corners in food
stuffs, are often the immediate results
Of bad roads. r. G. Dun & Co., of New
York, not long ago, in review OF the
condition of trade, said that "the strin-
gency in the money markets here and
at some other points is more largely
due. to slow collections, which appear
to result from severe weather and i'm
practicable roads," than to anything
else. So it is that mud rules the land.
So great foe requires the united ef-
forts of the people to dethrone it. IN
this struggle every line Of business in
the land should be united. and there
is certainly no interest which has more
ut stake in the success Of this move
ment and which should be more deter
mined in urging the work forward