The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-07-13

roads, writes Colonel AL
TX ri bert A. Pope, in Harpers
Weekly. For many years
we have expended liberal sums or
money for the betterment of rivers and
harbors, and the results accomplished
are commendable, but we must not lose
sight of the fact that great majority
Of the people live away from the coasts
and waterways, in regions where the
necessity for good highways Is i'm
perative.
In many cases these people need the
appropriations and National aid a great
deal more than those dwelling nearer
the seaboard or on streams that teen
with industry. The highways are the
natural feeders to railways, and i'm
provements on them materially III
crease both interstate and international
commerce. If our Government has
seen fit to be liberal in river and har-
Dor work, it is reasonable to expect
that the building and maintenance of
public highways must demand the
same attention. There is an interde-
pendency here which cannot be over
looked by those who analyzc this ques-
tion Alright.
1t h1long been mooted question as
to Wht is the best method of raising
fun& for the construction of public
highways, but l know Of no better way
than for State and Federal Government
to issue special bonds for the purpose.
Three per cent. fifty year bonds Of this
kind would find an immediate market,
and they could be paid by sinking
fund of two per cent. per annum,
which would mean that there would be
charged against this indebtedness
five per cent. per annum to be pro-
vided for by taxation. Such bonds
could be issued from time to time as
the work progressed, so that funds
would always be available up to the
limit Of the bonded Indebtedness agreed
upon.
There is trait in American charac-
ter which makes us ultra conservative
on some issues, especially where long
established custom causes us to travel
in ruts so deep that it is difficult to
leave them.
For years the inhabitants of the rural
districts of our country deceived them
selves in believing that the best, and
by that is meant the cheapest. way to
pay 4 road tax was to work it out by
a definite quota of days labor on the
highways. 1t took far reaching and
aggressive educational campaign to
persuade them that the old method of
road building and repair was unneces-
sarly costly and thoroughly ineffec-
tua) Nor was this reformation well
started until some communities had
made Il practical demonstration Of the
actual value of good highways to those
who depend on the soil for living.
In working out his road tax the
farmer clung to the idea that dollar
saved was as good as dollar earned,
and at the same time lie lost sight OF
the truism that it is good business
policy to invest dollar which will
BRING back two. Once the farmer was
shown by object lessons that good high
ways, passable the year round, were
essential to 4 profitable handling OF
farm products, he freely expressed as
toniShment at having been fooled by
the methods inherited from his an
cestors.
This educatona work, which in its
inception called for great energy and
the liberal expenditure of time and
money, was later Oh helped by both
State and Federal Government. An
appropriation was made by Congress
for the purpose of collecting and dis
seminating information on road build
ing and repair, road materials and
other kindred topics. AS result the
farmers learned that to build roads
properly, though apparently expensive,
was in reality an economic measure.
They were led to see that the highways
were natural feeders Of railways, and
that it was as much Of detriment to
have produce snowbound or mudbound
on the farm as to have freight congest-
ed on the railroad. They comprehend
ed the difference in cost between haul
ing a ton a mile on good and bad roads,
and they realized, too, that with pass
able roads the year round the hauling
to station and other shipping points
could be done to advantage out OF sea-
son when draft animals were not need
ed for blowing or harvesting.
These few paragraphs will indicate
in outline the manner in which the
great reform was started by agitation
and fostered by education until the
question is not, "Shall we have good
roads," but How can we best secure