The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-08-06
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
IN LEE COUNTY
People of that County Waking up TO
the Needs and Benefits of Better
ROadways.

hOauWa!S.
Bishopville, July 3O.-The Bishop-
vile Chamber of Commerce is agi-
tating movement for good roads in
Lee county and supporters of the
project believe it will, result in much
good. l., III. jennings, chairman of
the good roads committee of the
Chamber of Commerce. has prepared
an appeal for better roads. This
statement is as follows:
No one will dispute the fact that
good roads is one of the greatest as
sets and one of the greatest advertise
ments that county can have. Prob
ably at no time in the history OF road
building in this country has it at
tracted so much attention, so much
so that its construction has become
a skilled profession. No longer can
the average man be picked up and
depend on to build modern coun-
try highway. Our industrial and edu-
cational development Is bringing to
our minds the fact that this matter
OF road building can no longer be un-
der control of unskilled hands. but
should be superintended by one who
is skilled and trained in road engi-
neering. Not only would we then
have better roads, but we would get
them at less cost to the people And
10 prove this fact we hace only to
search the records of those counties
that have such a system.
Figures for Lee.
Let us examine few figures from
the records of Lee county for roads.
bridges and chaing&ag FOR the past
six years closing 1912. The following
figures do not include the salaries OF
the supervisor, commissioners and
clerks. The expenditures for the re-
spectivc years: 1907. $S.9CS.ll: 1908.
$9,377,0S; 1909 $9,G36.9o; 1910, $ll,-
0S1.79; 1911. $12. S65.74; 1912, $l5.-
S9,3770S; 1909 $9,636.o9; 1910. SILL
7S,30-making total for the six
years of S67,70S.33. All this money
has been spent on our country roads,
with no bridges of Importance being
constructed nor any stability to the
roads that have been built. Drawing
from these figures we can safely say
that at least 100000 has been spent
on the public roads of Lee county
since its establishment in 1902, and
hnn NHn th.
maintenance.
The figures further tend to make us
little suspicious of our roads get
ting into politics, as you can easily Sc
lect from these figures the election
wears. Note specially the almost So
600 increase of 1912 over 1911. Can
the people of Lee county allow such
system to go on with such Il steady
and enormous annual increase? This
annual increase is sufficient proof
that here is nothing permanent about
The roads that we get, being built by
nnshlled hands and planned by those
who have no knowledge of engineer
ing whatever When we want a per-
manent building put up in our county
we employ an architect and trained
builder, why not use the same reason
ing and common sense in building cur
county roads; they are equally as i'm
portant and maintained and supported
by the same source.
4 Proposed Bill.
1T is porposed to have system
similar in substance to the Stuckey
bill that was up before the legislature
in 1912-that there should be three
good business men as commissioners.
who must be recommended by the del
egation and appointed by the govern
or, to have control of the county af-
fairs, and to receive SO per day for
their serfiGes and milage, services
not to exceed 30 days yer annum
These commissioners to be empowered
to employ a competent road engineer
salary not to exceed 81 500 per an
mum, who shall have control OF the
road contraction. No money to be
paid out for road work except upon
the recommendation of the road en-
sineer and approved by the commits
sioners, the commissioners not 20 ap-
prove claims they do not deem just
and fair
"It is further proposed that the su-
pervisor, whose salary is now $1,000
per annum be allowed to take a team
of two mules and four laborcrs or