The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-09-15
cONVICTS AND THE ROADS.

w Z Hdu SOllSSillllS " "a AeSS ">
about a proposed Highway from Ell
terton, Ca, and points beyond going
towards the national capital. We
are publishing today an editorial
from the News and Courier and a
letter written by Reid Whitford to
the editor of that paper on the dou-
bic subject of handling convicts, and
building highways.
The News and Courier quite agrees
with US, as does Mr.. Whitford, that
The working of convicts OF the public
roads in small squads is more ex-
rensive than doing the same work by
hired labor, or by contract. All
county roads may best be worked un-
der the contract system, under speci-
fcations made by an engineer. OF
this fact we are quite convinced.
While we are having some good work
done in this county since the Super
visor commenced to widen the roads,
and while we notice great progress
over former years in the character of
the work, it is useless to argue that
the work done by inexperienced men
as superintendent is equal to the
work which would be done under the
direction of an engineer.
But that does not solve the ques-
ton of the convicts. We believe
there is something in the contention
or suggestion that these %convicts may
be p~roftably worked by the state in
large squads, especially where the
work of these men might be utilized
in the winter months in preparing
substances for road building.
Our mind is made up that the mo-
tor a is the coming means of trans
p~ortation for passengers between all
local points. The time may not yet
be here when there is any promise
that these motor cars will be utilized
proitably for extensive journeys.
But the time is here when the rail-
roads do not furnish the necessary
accommodations for local travel.
This is shown by the fact that there
is a constantly increasing number Of
men making the towns of the state in
motor cars. On last Saturday we
had business in Anderson. We left
Abbeville at 8 o'clock in the after
noon, and drove to Anderson in less
time than it takes to 60 on the rail-
road, considerably less. We attend
ed to u business there, and were
ready to leave at 6. But the South
crn had gone at that hour. If we
Rad taken the trolley we would have
gotten to Greenwood at 10 at night
md would have been forced to spend
the night there, OF come home in the
small hours of the night. AS it was
we drove to Bolton, and had supper
there. After spending an hour
there, we came by Due West, stop
ping there for a short while, and
reached Abbeville something after 9
o'clock. Had we undertaken the
journey by railroad, we would have
been compelled to leave home at 9
in the morning and to have spent the
whole day in Anderson.
This but illustrates the incon-
veniences of making local towns by
railroad. If We had a good highway
from Abbeville to Anderson, which
could be travelled any day in the year,
fand such a highway can be built
cheaper than a railroad or trolley
l;ne) we would have all the local con-
nection with Anderson desired. Not
only could passengers between the
two points, and way stations, avail
themselves of it, but the farmers all
along the line could haul freight of
all kind, and all kinds of farm pro-
ducts thereon, without cost, with
ease and at comparatively no ex-
pense. Such a road would be a
convenience not only to the travelling
public and the shipper, but likewise
to every man who lived along the
route.
And for this reason we believe that
good roads are coming and that the
motor car and motor truck are COM
ing. Already the merchants of New
York city deliver goods up the Hud-
o for a distance Of seventy-five
miles just as the merchants here de-
liver within the corporate limits. If
these roads r imperative, then they
should be built at once; and if the
convicts will assist in giving US these
highways, which are real highways,