The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-12-23
PRESIDENT FINLEY'S ADDRESS.
CONTINUED from page siX.)

the abandonment of this system and
the payment of all road taxes in cash.
The want of efficiency under the sys-
tenn Of working out road taxes las
been due, in part at least, to lack OF
comprehensive plans and Intelligent
direction. In my opinion, this can
best be remedied by the employment
by each county of a competent road
engineer to be in charge Of road con-
struction and maintenance through
out the county. I am convinced that
the money paid to such man would
be more than saved. The question OF
how road improvement is to be fin
anced in any community is necessar-
lily one that must be settled by those
who are directly concerned 1t is my
personal view that it will generally
be found more advantageous to secure
the necessary funds for, road con-
struction by issing bonds, rather than
by attempting to raise the entire
amount by current taxation. The
benefits derived from a good road are
not temporary. They will be shared
by your children and your children's
children. It is not improper, therefore,
that their cost should be distributed
over a series of years and that current
road taxation should be limited to the
amount required to maintain the roads
already built and to pay interest and
provide a sinking fund that will take
care Of the bonds at their maturity.
Another suggestion that would make
is tn at a,aarfss ocCMRDLNUcmfwy
is that, as far as practicable, convict
labor should be employed" in the i'm
provement and maintenance of the
country highways. This affords a
method for the employment of con-
victs in such way that they will not
come into competition with free. labor
in industries and agriculture. A re-
latively small body of convicts, by be-
ing kept constantly at work upon the
roads; can c1c5uce very substantial
results in the course Of a year.
Not less important than highway
construction is the maintenance of the
roads after they have been built. It
is particularly so when they are built
with the proceeds of bond issue. In
this respect a country highway is very
similar to a railway. If it is to be
kept up to high standard and is to
be a factor in maintaining the higher
property values consequent on its i'm
provement, it must be, watched con-
stantly, especially after rains, and it
will be found to be economical to make
repairs as oon as ruts or holes begin
to appear. On some of your roads I
have no doubt that effective work can
be done very economically by the use
of the split log drag. Where. condi-
tons are favorable for the use Of this
simple and effective implement, after
road has once been rounded up it
can be kept in very good condition by
dragging it after every rain.
Your country highways are part of
your transportation system. They
supplement your railways, uron which
you must depend for the carriage. of
your surplus products to markets in
OUT own country and to the ports for
export. Each individual in this COM
munjtv. whatever NAV he bis business
or occupation, is, therefore, personal
~ and vitality interested in the rail-
ways upon which you must depend to
carry your products to market and to
bring to you the surplus products Of
other regions which can not be advan-
tageously produced in this. locality. It
is to your interest that your railways
should prosper and should be sustain
ed by an adequate margin OF gross
earnings over the nnosts of oneration
so that their credit may be strength
ened and they may be able to provide
the additional capital needed to in
crease their facilities and improve
Eheir service.
AS highways to which every indivi-
dual is entitled to have access on equal
terms and over which he is entitled to
have himself or his property carried
at rates that are not unreasonable or
exorbitant. as measured by the SER
vice performed, railways are properly
subject to governmental regulation,
but. while tbev are public highways,
they are, at the same time, the private
property Of those who have provided
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