Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-07-07

cd that 700 miles Of important routes
needed improvement. He figured that
the cost of gravel roads would be
$4,000 a mile-plainly a sum greater
than the county could be bonded for.
Conditions, however, were ideal for
sand-clay construction and he strong
ly urged its adoption. By legal pro-
viso the county could be bonded for
only 3 IL per centum Of the assess
ed value of the real and personal
property. The plan was decided upon
and an issue of $4,000 was voted.
One hundred thousand dollars worth
Of the bonds were quickly sold, being
disposed of in $4,000 allotments.
The first allotment brought pre-
MUM of $625 and the second one of
sS25. Forty thousand dollars was at
once spent for mules and road-build-
ing machinery and work was started.
With the sum remaining, 119 miles
of the finest sand-clay roads in the
South had been built within two years
from the date of the bond issue; a
generous sum was still on hand; eight
gangs were at work, and the people
were SO pleased they stood ready to
take up the remaining issue of $43,-
900 and expend it in the same way.
Inasmuch as road building and
road mending have been for a century
under county commissioners and
township road supervisors with prac-
tically no beneficial results observable
it seems plain that the time for a
radical change OF methods is at hand.
am an earnest believer in Federal
and State aid and cooperation in
building good roads, and I believe
that the time is at hand when the
government will hit upon some plan
whereby it may cooperate with the
State and the State with the county,
in the work. 1t has been argued that
it is unconstitutional. Why should
it be more so than expenditure of
money for river and harbor improve
ments, which often take the form Of
private enterprise7 AS matter Of
fact, it has been shown conclusive
ly in Congress that so far from being
unconstitutional, the government in
its very beginning began the construc-
tion of good roads and expended
more than seven millions on the old
Cumberland road from Maryland to
st. Louis, distance of 700 miles, and
the work was only abandoned because
there arose, a question Of authority
and responsibility as to who should
maintain and repair the road, the
State, or the Federal government.
What does the government do for the
farmer7 We spend millions annually
on the army, dead loss, though
doubtless necessary; we spend some
hundred millions on the navy; have
spent half billion on river and har-
Dor improvements. During ten years
we spent more than six billion dollars
of which about ferty-seven million
went to the agricultural department; (;
but not dollar for the promotion Of
good roads, a common blessing for all
the people. During fifty years, in all
the vast sum our government his dis
bursed for one thing and another, not
dollar has been appropriated for
roads And yet. the farmers of the
country compose the bulk Of popula-
tion, and last year contributed to the
national wealth some eight billions Of
dollars. The one-horse farmer around
behind the hill miles from town forms
the foundation Of the nation, and
what has the government done for
him7 Nothing. The burden is upon
him, he foots the bills; and the gov
ernment takes his money and spends
it on everything under the sun by the
millions, on everything but on what
affects him mostly-roads. In 1908
the farmers of this country not only
fed more than eighty millions of peo-
pie, but sent across the sea a >billion
five hundred millions Of farm prod
ucts. This preserved the balance of
trade with all the world, and gave
five hundred millions to the country
to set aside for the proverbial rainy
day. Had this not been, billion dol
lars would have had to have been sent
abroad to pay import duties. 1t was
enough to pay the immense appro-
priations Of Congress and still add
half a billion to the national wealth.
In the face of all this, the Federal
government has done NO. q thing for
good roads. ~'
The forerunncrs of national high
way from New York south to Allan
to have recently passed through the
State. I believe the time is at. hand
when the government will spend mon.
ey on that road. I believe we shall
see a road from Asheville and the
west through to the coast. 1t is
bound to come. The duty Of the press
lies in Fastening the day.