The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-01-22
The Good Roads Matter.


Editor The Bamberg Herald: The
report of the so called committee
published in your paper, recommend
ing that the U. S. government aid in
building roads, in Bamberg county,
offered by Congressman Byrnes, "be
not accepted" is a surprise to US.
Where was this meeting held
which created that committee? How
many people were present? Who ex-
planned the proposition of the gov
ernment to this committee and who
does this committee represent?
Was this committee gotten up and
this report made and published for
the purpose of giving our county Of
fcials an excuse for not giving us
good roads or was it for the purpose
of keeping the good work of Con-
gressman Byrnes from being seen
and thereby the way made easier for
some one who wishes to run for con-
gress against Byrnes, to influence
votes against him?
1t certainly would be great thing
if the building of roads could be
kept entirely out of politics. Bam-
berg county has spent over one hun
dred thousand dollars in road build
ing and hasn't a single permanent
road in the county Isn't 1t time that
we were learning how to build good
roads?
At a meeting held at the court
house there were present seventy-flv7
to one hundred of the best business
men in the county who heard the
proposition of the U. S. government
presented by Congressman Byrnes
and the plan of road building by the
government presented by Mr.. Toms,
government road engineer. The
financial condition of the county was
looked into and the proposition was
considered and it was resolved by
unanimous vote, That it is the sense
of this meeting that the county Of
icials of Bamberg county make such
arrangements as is necessary to ac-
cept ten thousand dollars of the
funds offered by the government for
road building
Now, Mr.. Editor, if you needed a
good house on your farm and a re-
liable person were to come to you and
say: "You need a good house, l want
you to have it, I will furnish good
architect and the very best plans and
specifications and superintend the
building of the house and give you
one-third of the cost of the house
and when it is finished it shall be
all your own" is there man in
Bamberg county who would not &C
cept the proposition? THAT is
JUST WHAT THE GOVERNMENT
OFFERS BAMBERG COUNTY
through Congressman Byrnes, yet
this so-called committee recommends
that this offer BE NOT ACCEPTED.
We are inclined to believe that this
committee and its report was gotten
up and published as political
scheme to prevent the acceptance of
the government aid and the building
of model road in this county, know
ing that a model government road in
this county would be a monument
to Congressman Byrnes and that it.
would be a very hard matter to in
fuence our people to vote against
him after this road had been built.
Are we, the citizens Of Bamberg
county, going to allow ourselves de-
prived of good roads to crafty the
desire of some person who wishes to
gain some political advantage in a
race for congress against Byrnes?
Some steps should be taken at once
to wipe out the report of that social
ed committee and secure that ten
thousand dollars from the govern
ment for the roads of our county.
FARMERS.