Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-05
THE ROAD LAW CONTROVERSY
LEGISLATORS Have Contrary Views as to
the Best Thing to Do.


the Best Thing to Do.
Fort Mill Times.
In commenting last week on the road
bill which Senator w. H. Stewart pro-
poses for York county, the Times re-
ferred to the differences which exist
in the legislative delegation as to the
advisability of adopting certain pro-
visions thereof. The bone Of conten-
ton between Messrs. Stewart, Glass
cock and Sanders on the one side and
Messrs. Wilson and Hollis on the 9TH
er seems to be the employment OF the
county chaingang, the latter gentlemen
objecting to the provision Of section
IL of Senator Stewards bill which
makes it mandatory upon the super
visor to first employ the chaingang in
repairing the public roads running east
and west and then north and south
throughout the county. Mr.. Wilson
claims that II this provision Of the bill
is enacted into law, the townships OF
Fort Mill, Bullock's Creek and Bethel
will not receive the work Of the chain
gang to which they are entitled. In
statement written for the Times, Mr.
Wilson expresses himself in opposition
to the chaingang proviso OF Senator
Stewards bill as follows:
Il do not agree with the chaingang
proviso Of Mr.. Stewards bill because
the idea is that the two main highways
must be completed before the chain
gang can be removed from them to DO
any work on any other road In the
county. The last proviso Of section IL
of the bill Is meaningless and impos-
sible Of execution by the county board
of commissioners. 1t will be impossi-
BILE for the board Of commissioners to
distribute the benefits Of the chain
gang among the various townships as
impartially as possible when they are
bound to complete the two main high
ways before they do any other work,
and when these two main highways
only run through six townships In the
county. The townships Of Bethel, Bull
locks Creek and Fort Mill under this
ARRANGEMENT will not get any work
from the ohaingang until the main
highways are completed and neither
Of these highways will come anywhere
near touching any Of these townships
"Our delegation last year on the
stump were a unit on the proposition
that the money derived from the two
mill road tax in each township should
go to the township to be expended on
the Communication tax. and that 1t
should not be a county road fund
That is the only fair and just way to
distribute 1t. Now, the county chain
gang Is maintained by a levy of one
mill on all property. real and person.
al, in the county Each township pays
this one mill on all property within its
bounds. Why, therefore, upon the
same basis of fairness and justice,
should not every township in the coun-
ty receive its proportionate share OF
the work Of the chaingang, and why
should three townships in the county be
required to contribute a one mill tax
on all property in their township to
build permanent roads in six other
townships and increase the value Of
property in those townships when
these three townships will get no bene-
fits whatever from said roads? They
are Just as much entitled to their one
mill tax as they are to their two mill
tax money.
"As to the disposition Of the chain
gang, have advocated since the first
and still advocate that 1t should be
left, as nearly as possible, in the COM
plete control Of the supervisor and
county commissioners. and should be
worked by them in each township OF
the county, as nearly as possible. In
proportion to the amount each town
ship contributes to its maintenance