The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-24
GOOD ROADS.
Practical Suggestions that Would Bring
About the Much Desired Result.

Editors Press and Banner:
In an editorial in your paper last week
you ask, "tIoW much do you wish good
roads" and commend the public spirit OF
the citizens Of Martins Mills in Offering tC
work their road for actual expense, and
you say, il every man in the county was
imbued with the same spirit, etc: wen
that is q mighty big if. have no doubt u
large majority of the citizens OF the coun-
ty would do their full duty IN that ,e airec, tS
ton II there was some one to take the
lead and point out practical way, Dut
there are exceptions to all rules; IN TINS
case there would be many. Voluntary
work on the roads would be Impractical,
unreasonable and unfair. for no man cares
to work for the benefit Of others and board
himself.
AS understand it, the Supervisor is
elected to take the lead in this matter--to
advise, suggest and direct, In thls
case you would reverse the principle OF
initiative and referendum, and make the
tail wag the dog. In these days; when q
little man is elected to a big office he be-
comes so inflated with self-importance
that anything like advice or suggestions
from an outsider is regarded as an unwnr-
rantable presumption-he knows 1t all. so
YOU see in either case we are somewhere
betweenIthe devil and the deep blue sea.
You are right, our people are "a thinking
people," and they have long since realized
that good roads, like everything else,
cost money; and being sensible, people,
they do not expect to get something Tor
nothing. They did not fix the commuta-
tion tax at two dollars, nor did they refuse
to pay more, or DO more, for they nave not
been asked to do so as far as know.
I have been thinking some on this mat
ter of good roads, and will give an outline
of q plan which, if it can be made feasible.
will be a step in the direction OF good
roads, q great improvement to the farm
lands and an inappreciable tax on the farm
ers, a tax that will be repaid q hundred
fold by removing what has for ages been
an intOlerable nuisance, and putting farm
lands in condition to use improved imple-
tnents: On almost every farm In the coun.
ty there are many tons OF rock scattered
over the land. Let every farmer, white
and black, be required to haul a specified
number Of loads OF this rock proportion
ate to the force he works-three to six
loads for each two-horse farmland deposit
it near the bad places In the public road
nearest his farm. This should be done an
nually for specified number Of years
two or three, I presume, would exhaust
the rock easily accessible on most OF the
farms. This rock could be broken by the
road gang or those who fail to pay COM
mutation tax in each township, and used
In repairing the roads. On farms where
rock is scarce, Stag, gravel, sand or other
suitable material could be substituted.
There should be in each township coin
petent person to designate place where
this material is most needed, and see that
it is used to the best advantage. II the
farmers could be induced to act In concert
I believe such plan would be mutually
beneficial to the farm lands and the roads;
but I do not know Of anything short Of
statute law that will make the farmers
concert worth a dried persirnmon, and
doubt il such q law would stand the test
of constitutionality: 1t savors too much OF
class legislation. There are other people
besides the farmers who are Interested In
good roads and they should be required to
do their part. In many places the grade
OF our roads Is unnecessarily steep; IL this
is ever to be changed, there Is no time like
the present. Real estate In South Caro-
lima will never be cheaper than it Is today,
and, as a rule, when man sells a strip Of
barren land to the county for public
road, he has about as little conscience as a
mule.
offer these suggestions for the consld-
eratlYn Of the pnblio, and leave the details
to be worked out by more experienced and
practical minds, s, A, s,