The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-22
THE - AoADS CONVENTION.
LUTON ADOPTED URGING
STATE HIGHWAY BOARD.
- .. LawtOn, of Hartsville, Presents
resolution Calling on Legislature
To Abolish State Farms and to Put
Aoie'bodied Convicts to Work on
The Public Roads, and 1t is Adopt.
ed-COnventiOn Best Yet Held.

Inc Public Roads, and 1t is Adopt.
ed-Convention Best Yet Held.
Columbia, Jan. 19.-The State Good
Roads Convention today unanimous
ly adopted resolutions submitted bv
its resolutions committee calling nm
on the legislature to establish a full
State highway commission.
resolution by Mr.. ]. ]. Lawton, of
Hartsville, Calling upon the legisIa-
ture to abolish" the State farms and
put all able-bodied convicts on the
roads was adopted without division.
although the proposition was object
ed to on the score that this would
result in convicts being inhumanly
treated in some Of the counties.
A resolution by Supervisor Mcbride
OF Florence. that a law be passed
forbidding trash and trees being
placed in roads and forbidding roads
being cut up by ploughs and lumber
hauling, was adopted.
Supervisor Humbert, of Iaurens.
offered a resolution, which was adopt
ed, giving the proposed highway
commission the fines and licenses
from automobiles. This took the
place of a resolution by the commit
tee proposing State license on au-
tomobiles, graduated according to
horse power, which was voted down.
Secretary Weldon, of the Capital to
Capital Highway Association, gave a
short talk to the convention. He re-
ported that the link in this road as
completed was in good shape, except
for link Of a few miles here and
there. The road is in good condition
now from Augusta to Pinehurst, and
after link has been worked out in
North Carolina, would be all right to
Raleigh, and would soon be complete
to Richmond. Speaking Of i'll treat
ment Of convicts he said the Atlanta
stockade affair had been greatly ex-
aggerated.
The convention concluded its work
with individual reports from super-
visors. 1t was declared the best
State Good Roads Convention ever
held in this State.
The convention adopted resolutions
thanking the newspapers for helping
the good roads movement.
The committee resolutions adopted
follow:
THAT the Association urge the
General Assembly at it's present ses-
sion to provide for a State highway
commission, one Of whose members
shall be an expert road and bridge
engineer and clerical assistants as
are required to properly conduct a
State department Of highways. the
chief engineer of this commission
and his expert assistants to be re.
quired among other duties to give
~-NH>S oSSASsohSC anu dOVlCe, on re-
quest, to county highway officials on
questions Of road administration. ma.
terials. location, engineering, con.
struction and maintenance, and to
make local surveys, plans, specifca-
tions and estimates Of contemplated
road, bridge and culvert work.
THAT the law governing the con-
demning of property required for
road purposes be amended so as to
authorize road officials to locate and
construct roads to the best advantage
for the whole people and pay to the
private owners Of the property so
used such damages as may be deter
mined by board of arbitration,
which shall be selected and assess
said damages after the road is con-
structed and in use.
THAT provision be made to give all
county highway officials four-year
terms Of office and salary and trans
portation allowances commensu-
rate with responsibility and work re-
quired of them"