The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-02-26
FACTS AND FIGURES
FAVORING BOND ISSUE

need it, and by giving the work when
they need it, do them the creates
service we could do them and at the
same time get more work done for
the money we spend than at any
other time, it is doubly reasonable
why we should give them work.
Not many days pass but that most
of the people who will pay any taxes
for the bond issue, if voted, are
called on to contribute to charity for
some man more unfortunate and out
of work. | shall vote for the bond
issue, because with contract work
going on, on every main road il,
Union county for the next three years
and all the work given preferably to
Union county people, no man act
ually needing work, need be without
a job.
Becat1se we can get more work
done for the money now than we are
likely ever to get done for the same
money again and because every self
respecting man would rather work
than beg.
Again I want to say this to the
people of Union county, and espe-
cially to any good citizen who may
feel it his duty to vote against the
bond issue for good roads, and that
is that l am going to vote for the
bond issue because 1 am convinced
that it will reduce taxes, instead of
raising them, and 1 believe you will
agree with me when you know the
facts. You will note that the bond
bill requires that the permanent
roads commission shall not only
build the good roads but they must
keep them up, and they will not only
keep them up from the time they
build them until they finish, but for
five years-that means this, that
every mile Of good roads built every
year for three years, will be a mile
of road taken off the county and the
regular methods and expense of up
keep; now listen and get these fig
nres correct: the commission is al
lowed $1,000 per mile the first year;
$1,000 per mile for the second year
and $500 per mile for the years
thereafter to keep up the permanent
good roads.
This makes an average of less than
$1,000 per mile for keeping up every
mile of road your good roads COM
mission can build, and the regular
county authorities will have just that
many miles less to keep-up. Now,
when I tell you that according to fig
ures given me by the treasurer and
supervisor, that Union county spent
between $4,000 and $4,000 per mile
on roads and bridges last year, it
will not take you long to see that
you can borrow not only 100000,
I,,,t I>ll
and save money over the present
plan of working roads (and 1 do not
mean to criticize any of our past
officials either).
Not only will it cost less in taxes
than you have now to pay, but as
a matter of fact, if the people can
persuade a commission of seven of
our highest-toned business men from
various parts of the county, not only
to take charge of the two hundred
or more miles of road that we hope
for them to build in the next three
years, and from purely patriotic
motives, and without cent of COM
pensation, devote their time, energy
and study, thought and labor nee
essary for such work, and after
building to keep the same up at an
average yearly cost of less than
$1,000 per mile, it would pay us
thousand times over to get them,
when they complete this work, to
take charge of all the roads for the
reason that estimating the road mile
age of Union county at 500 miles
which | have done in making this
calculation, if we could get a COM
mission who would serve without pay,
and keep up the roads of the county
at yearly cost of about $1,000 pc.
mile, or about five thousand dollars
year, we would save the difference
between that amount and the % to
80 thousand dollars which the roads
cost during 1914, assuming that it
would take as much every year as
it did in 1914.
Again | shall vote for the bond
issue, not only because it will help
every business in Union county when
help is needed, not only because it
will give jobs to every man and team
in Union county who really wantn
work when work is needed, not only
because it will put money in every
bank in Union county when nearly
every man and business in Union
county needs to borrow money.
Not only because it will increase
the value of every farm and every
piece of property in Union county, not
only because it will put every farmer
in Union county closer to his market
and enable him to sell his produce
freSher uuicker and at better price