The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-06-05
THE ROAD PROBLEM.
AS "UncIe William" Sees II. Fa7e-s
the Leyying Of an Additional Mill
for Rosl Improvement.

for Roal Improvement.
Much has been said and published in
print in regard to the road problem,
by different men who have given much
time and thought to this all-important
subject. l realize the fact that the
time is ripe and right here on us for
better system of road building, and
L give my views as to what l think
of the subject In question. While my
idea perhaps will not meet the appro-
baton of the majority of the tax pay
ers OF Laurens county, l will give 1t
for what 1t Is worth.
In the first place to begin with, who
contributes the bulk Of the pitable sum
OF money we have towards maintain
ing the public roads? Is 1t not the
poorer class Of people in large mea-
sure and the 18-year-old boys of both
classes. white and co,ored? The COM
mutation road tax Is paid by an act
of tho legislature by all persons be-
tween the ages Of Is and so. All male
citizens between this age are required
to pay $3.50 tax for this purpose un-
less exempt by physical disability or
otherwise. The man over SO years Of
age is not required to pay anything.
Although he may be the proud possess
sor of thousands of broad acres, scores
OF fat sleek mules, a thousand cattle
browning on his hills and meadows.
numbers of wagons and teams travel
ing over the so-called roads of our
county to and from the county seat
hauling corn and hay to feed his stock,
cussing the supervisor for neglect of
duty in keeping the roads in better
condition, when really the supervisor
is doing all in his power with the
means at hand to do with. You must
remember the supervisor is not omnip-
otent. He cannot be everywhere at
the same time. He cannot remove
mountains by command or cause the
streams to cease flowing He must
nave the support of the people, their
sympathy, their means. This is tine
remedy.
Now, how to get about it--Let there
be tax of say one mill on the as
sessed valuation of all taxable prop
erty put on every person owning prop
erty from the large land owner, bank-
er, mill man, in fact everybody, rich
or poor, high or low, even down to
h.
cottage. who owns only $1,000 worth of
property and hound and is kicked
around when he goes to town. Some
at this may frown but if they wish
the roads crowned they must plank the
money down IL the old hound is kick
ed around. A tax OF one mill for road
purposes would hardly be felt by any
one 1t would only amount to $1.00 on
persons paying on $1,000 worth of
property and only 10 cents on those
paying on $1,000 and so on as 20 the
amount Of his or her taxable property
The assessed valuation OF taxable
property of the county amounts to six
million, nine hundred forty fourthou-
sand and three hundred eighteen dol
lars ($6,94b,31S). An extra levy of
one mill on this would amount to
six thousand, nine hundred dollars and
forty four cents. This amount sup
plemented to the Communication road tax
fund would move several steep hills
and fiji up many low places on the
public roads and no body hurt. Just
think Of 1t, only one mill extra, be-
lieve we could stand two mills in
order to get better roads. In a short
while this burden, if burden at all,
could be shaken off and with the i'm
provements made we could go back to
the present system and perhaps get
along without this extra amount as the
work would be light and could be gone
over more rapidly.
Give our supervisor the means and
he will give you better roads. We
know he is censured for not accom-
plishing what some men think he
might or could do, but he has been
doing all in his power with the means
at his command. True, he could
bankrupt the county by borrowing
money, employing extra road help,
buying more road machinery and more
mules, but this would not be economy.
Give him more money and you will
see the result. Crooked roads made
straight, rough roads made smooth,
narrow roads made wider, long roads
made shorter, hilly roads pulled down,