The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-07-08

quire 1 mill levy on the s7.5OO.O0
taxable property in the county to pro-
vide the rest Of the $4,000 neces-
sary to take care Of the bond issue.
Furthermore, 1t is shown that a we'll
graded and properly built sand-clay
road can be maintained at a much
smaller expense that the ordinary
dirt road Reports from a number
OF the Georgia counties and Rich
land county indicate that this mann
tenance Of properly built sand-clay
roads, by use Of the split log drag
and other improved methods of main
tenance, varies from IS to $40 a.
year for one mile. Taking the maxi
mum maintenance given, Of $40 per
mile, We ought to maintain our 500
miles Of road for $4,000 per year.
Allowing $4,000 for maintenance Of
of bridges, we would still have at
least $1,000 left over for the pres
ent $4,000 We are spending for the
maintenance Of dirt roads and the
building OF few new sand-clay
stretches.
AS stated above, the additional
levy necessary to take care Of the
bond issue for a complete road system
ought not to exceed l mill, which
means 81 on the thousand, of prop
erty as assessed for taxation. The
man who has $500 property returned
for taxation will pay SO cents, the
man who has $1,000 worth Of prop
erty will pay 81; and the man who
has property assessed at $4,000 will
pay $40. 1t is safe to say that this
system Of good roads will save each
Of these parties more than ten times
the amount Of taxes he will have to
pay. His team will be able to haul
larger loads; his team will be able to
make quicker time: he will have to
spend less time on the road himself;
he will have fewer broken wagon
wheels and strained mules, and in
general be able to do greater hauling
at less expense.
Such system of good roads as
proposed would mean more for the
development Of Sumter County than
anything else we can possibly do. 1t
will mean that more people will come
into the county to make their homes,
toy develop, its land, and add to. the
wealth produced from it's fields and
manufacturing plants each year. 1t
will mean more people in the coun-
try districts; larger and more eff
cient schools in the country COM
munities; more farm owners living
on their farms, better homes and
more attractive country places
throughout the county; and generally
a more attractive county in which to
live. The more people we have in
the county and the more we produce
in the county, the more people and
the more wealth we will have to pay
the taxes and to pay for the road i'm
provements and other county expen.
ses 1t can safely be estimated that
such a system Of roads as we are
striving for will add 25 to SO per
cent to the value Of The real estate Of
the county. This alone would be at
least $4,000 600 in enhanced values.
Does 1T not look like a good dividend
on an investment Of 100000? And
this enhancement in value is due, not
to artificial causes, but to the very
practical fact that & greater variety
of profitable crops can be produced
profitably on farms along a system Of
good public roads; and that the saw
ing in transportation cost amounts
TO a very substantial dividend on the
enhancement In value.
Take for instance, the fruit crop
in the Stateburg section Of Sumter
County. There is no section Of the
state that can raise better peaches
and other fruits than this section Of
our county, but owing to the rough
and heavy roads the people of this
section are unable to deliver their
peaches on the market in salable con-
dition, for by the time they have been
Jostled over the rough roads they are
so bruised and damaged as to be un-
salable. There is no more profitable
class of farming than fruit growing.
yet this section, naturally adapted to
THIS industry, is deharrcd from en-
SaGlGIS in ii on account Of bad roads.
And this only illustrates one of q
great many lines Of profitable farm
ing which our present system or
roads make impracticable.