The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-02-09
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State Bonds For Highways.

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s II s to Governor Flower on its
i h j introduction in 1874, was
1aCE intended as IN ampllflca-
ton of the County Road law. under
which our earnest efforts failed to pro-
| mote road building, though we got rs
| far as the adoption Of the system in
one county, reconsidered (Erie). and
map in another (Onondaga). and by
local contribution. and therefore watch
fulness, obviated that extravaganza
from State action which Governor
Flower perhaps rightly feared. AS
passed in 1898, together with the coni-
Elementary statute. it afforded State
cooperation treally one piece OF legis-
lation) to the counties and towns to
an initiative and limited extent. and
was preservative Of local option, home
rule and the administrative entity OF
the county and the town. And. doing
so, it is nevertheless comprehensive
and elastic to such an extent that this
legislation is capable OF adoption by
any State almost without modification.
Being so, it is also capable of extension
or expansion so as to bring in federal
cooperation and the national interest.
without other modification than that
if the same be advisable.
But, while embodying self-helpful-
ness, this legislation was not intended
to emasculate self-reliance. It distinct
ly provided as to the main roads that
upon completion they should be turned
over to the counties and be thereafter
maintained as county roads. But a
further provision was added in the
home rule intent-that the boards OF
supervisors may apportion the expense
as they may be empowered by law.
The county is the ideal unit for road
building, area and expenditure sufi-
cient for the best results. At county
seat rural and urban interests conjoin.
Observation on two Of these "State"
roads in my native county, Broome,
showed the percentage Of vehicles
owned and belonging to the city 10
be 62.73. I venture to say so per cent
of vehicles on any road are in transit
to and from the cities. These main
roads, rs I early guessed and since de-
termined, are about 10 per cent of the
total mileage. They traverse the town,
to be sure, but are of interest beyond
it and often q burden beyond it if prop
erly constructed and to be maintained.
To put the whole cost on the town
would be to imperll the road OF burden
it unduly. Let US, as intended, main
tain these main roads as county roads
and a fiat county charge, which viii!
entail little cost on any and be in the
general interest; for the urban popula-
ton of the county is as much benefited
Ey such an arterial system as the rural
districts. This will relieve the, towns
of any share in the construction OF the
main roads. save 15 per cent, and OF
their maintenance save their minor
county taxation, and they will be bet
ter able 10 maintain and improve these
lesser roads under the town unit and
money system, with the States contrl-
button going, as intended. to work of
q permanent value, under pressure
from the State and county engineers.
The basic official is the county engi-
neer or superintendent, giving the
State Engineer a representative IN
every county. The present divisional
system is good enough for waterways,
but not detailed enough for roadWaJs.
and within each county there should
be these as the guiding directors OF
main read building. cooperative with
the highway commissioners in the les
ser town road building. Their first
effort should be To map out the main
roads, the county system, and the town
road systems, and proceed hereunder
as fast as able or reasonable, and main
tainance should be evolved somewhat
analogous to railroads, divisional and
sectional, but not involving such asSid-
uous care, can more elastically avail
itself of local help and material. The
intelligent farmer being employed, as
side issue, in sectional care, which,
under expert direction, will have prop
er results. We should emphasize the
county as we have its officials, super
visors and superintendents, as tho
golden mean between the too liberal
and unlocal State action and the too
narrow town action Of New England
origin, suited only to past or pioneer
conditions.
The States interest and share being
properly confined to half of the first
construction of the main roads and
these fixed at 10 per cent. of the mile
age, and the State now falling to meet