Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-05
Mr.. STEWARDS ROAD IDEAS.

Mr.. STEWARDS ROAD IDEAS.
Senator-Elect Outlines Certain Changes
He Has In Mind.
Rock Hill Herald
AS the good roads question is being
much discussed now, and as 1t was
discussed in the primary last summer
in the county, especially by the two
aspirants for the senatorship, we In
terviewed Mr. w. H. Stewart of Rock
Hill as to his views the other day by
asking him if he had any bill prepar-
ed on the subject, and he replied ABOUT
as follows:
well, l have bill, but am not ready
just now to publish 1t. l prefer to
further consider the road question and
when the delegation meets in Columbia
this month will submit my views to
them before introducing it in the sem
ate and see If we can agree. / will
then send you copy for your paper"
Have you any objection to giving US
an outline of your bill? we asked him.
He replied, Il have not" and spoke
about as follows:
MY idea Is to work the roads by
the township supervisor plan; to have
him appointed upon the recommendation
of majority of the delegation by the
governor and to serve for two years.
Pay him for about rs days at the rate
of not less than three dollars per day
for the time actually employed, and re-
uuire bond in the sum Of five hundred
dollars for the faithful discharge Of his
duties. Give him jurisdiction over all
the roads in his township, except the
main thoroughfare to the county seat,
and let him cooperate with the county
supervisor in the working and main
tanning of that road. He Is to eXpend
all moneys raised by tax or otherwise
in his township (and no more) annu-
ally in the improvement of the roads
and repair of certain bridges and rem
der an itemized account of the same
to the county supervisor for publica-
ton and file in the county supervisors
office. Have him for the year 1909
collect the Communication tax from every
citizen in his township between the
ages of q and So years, except those
citizens in the Incorporated cities and
towns, and those persons who are deaf,
dumb, blind or permanently crippled.
This tax to be two dollars or four
days work. The township supervisor
can work the roads himself or let
them out in sections by contract or en-
ploy an overseer (not more than four
for his township to work the roads
paying him not over two dollars per
day: make it a misdemeanor for the
person who does not pay or work with
a penalty of 80 days on the chain
gang, This Communication tax to be ex-
pended on the road upon which the cit
izens live or is liable for road duty on"
How is the township supervisor to
have any tax as under the law now In
force (the Saye law all the money
raised from the two mill tax now be-
for roads and bridges?
why, easy enough. We will change
the Saye law, radically, and require the
county treasurer by April l, 1909, when
all the taxes are in, to open an account
with each township and place to the
credit of that township all the tax rails
ed in that township from the two mill
levy except so much as may be neces-
sary to pay the engineer and his as
sistants now employed by the county
board of commissioners under con-
tract"
Will YOU continue the employment of
the engineer another year?
II think it necessary to have an en-
gineer at times. but my idea is not to
make it compulsory on the board OF
county commissioners to keep an en-
gineer all the time, but leave it discre-
tionary with them, as to the term or
his service, let them fix his salary and
define his duties and powers. His SER
vices will be needed in the matter OF
bridges. My idea is to stop wasting
the countys money in building these
cheap wooden bridges, and require the
county supervisor and commissioners
over streams of n certain width, say
30 or 40 feet, to erect stone or con-
crete block piles above high water marx
and span the same with an iron or
steel bridge and be done with it for
many years. 1t will cost little more,
cut will be much cheaper in the end
What about the chain gang? VIII
It be abolished?
why no, not with my vote unless 1t
proves to be too expensive. | propose
TO try and flnd out what the chain
gang costs the county annually under
my bill and to that end, as l said in
speeches during the campaign, that my
idea was to use the chain gang under
the county supervision in constructing
or repairing two main thoroughfares
through the county, first running east
to west and then north to south, as
near as practicable. Then roads to be
graded by the plans, ETC., of the engin-
eer now employed, and to be macadam-
lied or sanded with gravel, provided
the township through which they may
pass are ready at that time to furnish
the rock or sand gravel, to be so used
by the county supervisor. If not ready
at that time the roads will be graded
so that the township supervisor for
roads can have the rock or sand put
down at some other time. This will,
1 think encourage the township through
which their highways will pass to get
8 move on themselves as it were, to
get good roads. Of course--these two
thoroughfares will not go through all
the townships. but when they are COM