Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1914-01-21
GOVERNMENT AID.
National Government ,:fi,n WIN win Civ,
{ Edgefield County $4,000
Z Conditionally!for Road
( Improvement. 80
lmprOverr1er1

| sFFtf I-|Es8'rs 80 .t.i ~. ttf'' 90 -Sss#
In response to a letter from Capt. :
O P Bright, who is always ready
for forward step, asking about Sc
curing a stone crushing machine
from the government TO use in road
building, Coneressm an J. E. Byrnes
wrote the following which is Of, vital !,
interest TO our people. 40 lagusy.asg
% January is, 1914. ;,
Mr.. 0. P. Bright, President ,Chaml
her of Commerce, Edgefeld, s.. o.
Ny dear sir: - 80. ~. ,' .s.s -. =.
Replying to. your. letter of thes
18th, .the United States Goverrment
has no road"macbines which it could
lend TO any community to assist in
road building. Ordinarily, I would
have to advise you that there was
no way in which the. Government !.
could assist in road Improvement,
but last year q fund of S5oO,OOO was
appropriated for experimental road
building. The; greater part of this Z,
fund was allotted to States in the
middle west and in the north, the .
State Of Ohio taking 100000,
Maine, $50, 1000, and other States de-
curing similar amounts. Through
my friend, the Director of Public ,
Roads, I learned. that, $40, 1000 was
,eft Of this fund and with tne as
.lstance of the senator's ] succeeded j.
10 having my district designated for
this 100000. This money is; ap-
or ,priated upon the following con-
ditions: -. - .,,..i
The county selects the road or
roads to be improved. The cost, 81,
improving the road iso estimated. by r
the agent of the Office of Public
Puads and the road theysWbuild IN
our country is a sand-elay round 4
|24t ftNWide with 9 iii. depth
EiVfienevers tny county pEts asi.ie I:
two thirds of. the estimated cost: OF.
building the road the Government !.
will put to the credit of the county
one-third of the cost OF building the
road. The road is built under the
direction of the road engineer Of
the Department. Either convict
ur free labor can be used in the
wMk. The agent estimates tha' a
road can be built with cnnv'cl la
Dor for about one-half the cost nf
free labor. The cost of maintai II
ing the gang, paying salary of guard
&c Is paid out of the joint fund.
This proposition ] made to your
county and TO every other county IN
my district, through The superpi-
,ors, during the last week of De-
.cember. Aiken County }signii d
It's Willingness to take $4,000 of
the $4,000, and the last informa-
llunI had from them was that they
Intended building :. road. from
( iken to the Edgefeld line. If y"u
;re in position to accept this propo-, 3,
silion you can have the -$l0,OUu or:e
any. part of it., as my offer Aill :.
stands to the county first accepting
the proposition. In some sec,ionsh
,wo-lhirds of the fund has beerif-
raised almost entirely by private "
subscriptions raised from people IN y
lpe cities and property owuers adi {
joining the road to be improved ".
OF the 4Ss Congressional dis
tricts in the country only, q very
few have been able *, secure, any,
part of this fund.-, and as you can: D
imagine, they are all anxious to se-. G
cnre part of is.,: b.will therefore, .
be unable to hold this balance o
| $4,000 for any great: length of >
time, and if you are interested il !
the proposition I win be, glad # :,
x You VIII investigate, and see whrIh-,,s :
er or OF YOU can comply with thes.i
terms. If | have to release u | III
tend to try3and secure .;ipr; ,s"1f'i.
mher, distrRtins tire 6tateef' SonthE
Oarofifrria,T because 4 think the road !.
bNitihtss the @iiigyiiis,ai;r is,i;r of"lthe,'GJyz@,n
srnniant &itf 'I.5 'of" edu a a'i3Yt }".s, y
vl4s aud qd .;o}F.. ;o}nr peeps WI Il save v}eaaa
money III The long run by building
tctter roads. !: !, should, have in7:,3
formed; ;youi That, y mi ,pfiGuyi:r"-'a.
.mrnt built, road I'm Ark en- ccouiitSi
ue,.iS.eui.tini tire:' wars ago by: ton-Hi i
uict labor cost s40O: =. The cost ofSa
,hu road by free labor would do"bl-
less be double this. Tie cost will
of course depend on proximity Of
clay. amount OF. grading DC, but >,
this will give, yQu al IDEA ::s.,. >.
=, Very. truly yours 3s' =,
,. -:E. (Sipned, m a .rf,., :, 49,