The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-23
GOOD ROADS TRAIN NEWS.
SMALL CROWD ATTENDED DEM.
ONSTRATION, SEE EXHIBITS
AND HEAR LECTURES.
Sumter County Good Roads AssOcia-
ton Formed With S. A. Haryin
President and $. f. Moore, T.. w.
Dabbs, j. j. Britton, Jr, Vice Pres.
idents.

visited sumter Tuesday, but ap-
parently there were very few who
knew it or who had any interest in
1t, for the crowd which was present
when the lectures commenced num-
bered by actual count was only 10
and Of this number three were chill
dren.
However, before the lectures were
over and the train had gone a con-
siderably larger audience was gained
and some enthusiasm was shown in
the matter Of getting good roads. A
local organization was formed to
unite with the American Good Roads
Association.
The train arrived here at about
noon and was open short while for
persons to inspect the exhibits.
Those in charge Of the train were:
Messrs. w. ]. Hurlburt, land agent
Of the Southern Railway, D. H. Wins
low. Of the United States department
OF road building. and L. H. Baker,
United States expert and organizer Of
good roads associations.
The meeting was called to order
! by Mr. Hurlburt. who stated in a few
sentences how the train had been
sent out by the Southern Railway,
for the purpose Of arousing the in
terest Of the people Of the country in
obtaining better roads. especially
throughout the South. He said that
the plan had been made out by Pres
ident w. ". Finley Of the Southern
Railway, who was a great enthusiast
on the subject of good roads and Mr..
l.. w. Page, the director Of the office
Of public roads, in the United States
Department Of Agriculture. 1t has
been on the road for something over
three months and had seemingly ac-
complishd much good.
Mr.. d. III. Winslow then made a
brief talk, explaining motion pictures
which were shown on the screen Mr..
Winslow has been here before and is
we'll acquainted with conditions here.
He stated that Sumter county had
taken a step backward this Summer
which had been spread abroad from
ocean to ocean and which would do
more harm to the county than any
thing else that could have been done.
He said that he referred to the vot-
ing against the bond issue, which re-
suit had been published in every
roads paper and magazine through
out the United States. He said that
the people who saw this would think
that this was anything but a pro-
gressive county and it would be next
to impossible to bring in settlers to
the county after such a thing had
happened. This was what the bond
issue meant to Sumter county and
II the election last summer was not
repudiated by the farmers next sum-
mer. this would be known as a dead
county in every roads paper
throughout the whole country.
He said that the killing Of the
measures such as the recent bond is
sue measure by the farmers Of the
county. where the municipalities con-
tributed from fifty to eighty per cent
Of the cost without getting any direct
good themselves. would in time mean
the separation into townships the taxes
for good roads, so as to give one
township the right to vote a bond for
good roads. while 1t would not cost
the next township anything, nor
would 1T result in any good for
neighboring township. He said that
II would be pretty hard on the farm
ers. who We're the ones to reap the
greatest good from having good
roads. II they were made to pay the
entire cost Of having the good roads.
after they had refused to allow the
city to help them pay the cost.
Mr.. l.. III. Baker then stated that
1t was the desire of the American
Good Roads Association that at ev-
cry place that the train stopped local
association be formed which would
ally itself with the American associa-
ton so that the greatest amount of
good might be accomplished by unity.
The dues would be nothing at all for
membership in the American asso-
citation, but the local associations
would have the privilege Of getting
all of the road bulletins which were
sent out.
The nomination of officers was
then called for and after some dis
cussion the following officers were
elected: President, :. A. Harvin