The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-11-13
The Value Of Good Roads.

Gaffney Ledger.
We have hammered in season and
out Of season the subject of good
roads and while we are free to con-
fess that there has been little impress
sion made so far, still we are not
going to give up the fight. AS every
we'll Informed man knows, Mecklen-
burg county, North Carolina, has the
finest roads in the South. They have
spent thousands upon thousands Of
dollars on road building, and yet they
are not content, as they are soon to
vote on bond issue for the purpose
of extending these roads. Simply to
illustrate what the people up there
think Of goods roads and to show the
value Of goods roads to the farmer,
we reproduce the following from re-
cent issue Of the Charlotte News:
Were you to pick up any citizen Of
Mecklenburg county who is well in
formed on conditions of the county,
and ask him what he considers the
greatest advantage Mecklenburg
county has over the other counties OF
the State and country at large and
from what source he considers moro
blessings and benefits arise without
doubt he would reply, "from her
good roads"
There is not doubt but what this
answer would be correct. The public
roads Of this county have been for
years and are now the chief source
of pride to our citizens and it is
through this channel that we have re-
ceivcd more valuable advertising than
by any other means.
The citizens of this county are soon
to have an opportunity to make these
roads still better, and to extend them
further, and we appeal to every citi-
zen interested in the welfare and up
building Of his county to 60 to the
polls on election day and vote for the
bond issue, which means progress as
against stagnation and decline.
In connection with the blessings
arising from good roads the New
York Herald, of recent date, pays
the following tribute to Mechlenburg
county roads:
"In an address at Mobile, Ala,
John Caft, said that the cost to the
farmers Of the South is fifty cents OH
each bale Of cotton for an average
haul Of eight miles.
eff there were good roads the cost
would be reduced to 16 cents a bale.
Estimating a crop Of 100000 bales,
this would mean Il saving of $4,000
annually.
''1t costs under the present road
conditions twenty-five cents to haul
a ton of fertilizer n mile. With the
good roads the cost would be eight
cents ton.
"Meclzlcnburg county, North Car
olina, has the finest macadamized
roads, and it is being done with con-
Wet labor. 1t costs an average Of
25 cents day to guard, feed and care
for convict labor when it is managed
on business principles.
"As for the convict himself, statis-
ties show that 90 per cent of those
who arc worked in the open air, pro-
pcrly fed and guarded, return to their
families and cease to he menace
or charge to the State, while of those
who are kept in prison, or worked in
mines, sawmills, or similar places IS
per cent. become hardened criminals.
"Nor do think it right to put the
honest wage Garner in competition
with convict labor, or the manufac>
turing industry in competition with
the one that hires cheap convict la
| Dor.
"Indiana has more than $4,000
miles of good gravel roads. I remem-
Der when Indiana was considered one
of the illitcrate States Of the Union
Today she is prosperous and her peo-
pie are no longer ignorant, but the
state is dotted with the finest schools
and colleges. 49, T.. ~
""Massachusetts spends more money
than any other State on her public
roads. New York has just voted to
issue|$50, 100000 for her roads, to be
spent in the next ten years New
Jersey has fine roads, which have
been Of great benefit and are the best
investment the State has. Missouri
ia agitating a. bond issue Of $2O,000,-
! 900 for her public roads. The Prov
! ince Of Ontario. Canada. has 6O.OC)0