The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-12-14
GOOD ROADS AN ISSUE

GOOD ROADS AN ISSUE
DRaNGEBURG MEETING BEGIN
aENG OF NEW CAMPAIGN.
News and Courier Urges Adoption OF
Public Road-Building Plan and
Oeasson OF Highway Commission.
The following editorial from The
News and Courier will be read with
Inaerese:
More than half the States OF the
Un!on have adopted the policy Of CIV
ing aid 10 the construction Of public
roads. all of the States have the mat
i ter under consideration, and In many
counties large bond issuea have been
made to promote the. building Of
good roads. The subject Is now at
Ezacssag d great deal Of attention
Ia South Carolina. and. quoting
from Wa&son's Handbook Of South
Carolina. as nothing aids more in
the Development of the agricultural
Industry OF a commonwealth than
good roads," there is fair promise
that the legislature Of this State
win adopee broad plan for the
reconstruction or new construction
OF great system of highways to the
Industrial advantage Of every good
enterprise in the State. That is
what ought to be done. and after
our riotous living with the whiskey
question for fifteen years we should
think that some useful occupation
for our energies would be very wei
come to everybody in the State.
According to the latest informa
tion we have, there are 1880 miles
OF public roads in South Carolina,
OF which only 1878 miles are i'm
prove6;ta little more than one mile
OF public road to the square mile
SS territory, one mile of road to
every 32 Inhabitants. one mile of
improved road to every 713 iuhabi-
5ants. Here's a state Of things"
that ought TO receive the intelligent
consideration OF the people Of the
State. and particularly of those who
are engaged in agricultural work.
Last year the cost Of hauling the
cotton from the farms to market
was about ss,o00,000. If the pub
lie roads throughout the cotton belt
we're good the cost would have been
less than the half OF that sum. It
has been estimated that the cost of
hauling over the roads We have
amounts to 81 cents per ton the
mile, and that the cost of hauling
over good roads would not exceed
10 cents per ton the mile. Almost
any one can make the calculation of
what the saving would be if the
public roads OF the State were put
in marketing condition.
1t is estimated that very service
able public roads equal to almost any
traffic they would be required to
stand, can be constructed in this
State at cost of from $3.50 to $500
the mile, and that such roads can
be maintained at an annual cost of
S3oFthe mile. Both thesesestimates
are rather low, we should say, be-
Cause Of the long hauls in some
parts of the State on bodybuilding
material and the almost utter lack
of drainage in much, difficult terri
tory. but in a very large part OF the
state doubtless excellent roads Of
the sand-clay sort could be built at
a cost Of about $500 the mile. IN
the saving OF labor to the farmers
and other producers they would be
worth 10 the first year after con-
struction and year after year more
than the initial cost, and II properly
constructed. could be maintained at
litsie IL any additional yearly ex-
pease to the taxpayers. If such roads
are to be built they must be built
by public taxation, and the taxes
must be high enough to warrant the
best work.
What is needed is the adoption by
the legislature of a public road
building plan and the creation of,
q State highway commission to car
~ out this plan, not in year or
in two years not with dab here
and there, not by filing up bad
hole" In the Four-Hole Swamp
country, but on a well thought out
scientific scheme which will give to
tie State a comprehensive system
oS public highways capable of ac-
eommodasing Vie business iof the
State from the mountains to the
sea. The FIRST Of the pathfinders