The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-03-20
COUNTY ROAD BONDS.

Ter yesterday carried long editorial
about it. and commenting on several
newspaper comments about the prop-
osition. This newspaper has always
been known to be conservative, and
sounds note OF warning TO the peo-
pie of the Piedmont Counties. The
point about the kind of roads needed
In this section OF the State is we'll
taken. II Is doubtful. however, IL
there Is cause for alarm that the road
commission in Anderson County, at
least, would rush headlong into this
thing and spend the peoples money
recklessly. Ample time would be
taken to study the road problem. and
decide upon the best method of con
strnctlng roads and ascertaining the
best material from which they should
be constructed. Tile matter OF voting
bonds is receiving very much atten-
tion over the country. and millions of
dollars will be provided in this way
for better highways. Anderson Coun-
ty as one of the most important and
largest counties in the State, as we'll
as one of the richest, is being watch
ed now 20 see what is done with this
bond issue.
In order that our readres may know
just what the News and Courier had
to say, we are reproducing the edi-
torial herewith in full:
1t seems to us that the Greenville
News Is somewhat premature in offer
ing its condolences to its neighboriug
county of Anderson on account of the
prospective defeat of the issue of
S750000 in bonds to be used in road
building. The Greenville County del
egation prodived for issuing road
bonds for Greenville without putting
the matter TO vote of the people. The
Issue is. we believe, for million dol
lars and the Greenville paper tell Its
Anderson friends that IL they reject
the bond issue for their county, they
must expect TO stand still in the mat
ter OF roads for several years to come
at least, while 'in the meantime the
highways for Greenville County will
have been built and we shall be pro-
cecding merrily on our way to better
farming. better churches, better
schools and altogether happier
times"
This is e very alluring picture for
Greenville. and we trust that 1t is GO
Ing to be fulfilled In all particulars.
But cxpsrien- has demonstrated
again and again that nothing Is easier
than to throw away money in the
construction Of highways. We do not
suggest that this ia going to happen
in Greenyille, but II is at least DOS
sfble; indeed, unless extraordinary
pains have been taken to safeguard
The road fund from political In
fluences and tosinsure it's expenditure
under the most competent supervision
1t will BIO difficult from every other
place under the sun. The Anderson
people, according to the Anderson
Daily Mall, are against the issuance,
OF bonds because they do not know
how the money would be spent. "The
people," says the Daily Mail, don't
know whether the proposed roads
would cost $4,000 or $4,000 mile;
they are afraN the whole amount of
money might be spent and the whole
business result In as complete fall
ure a. the piece OF government road
built Just west of the city more than
. year ago."
This attitude On the part OF the citi-
zens of Anderson County shows sound
sense, to our way of thinking. The
wisdom OF big bond issues for road
building Is always questionable. It is
doubly so when. as Is the case In the
Piedmont section OF South Carolina,
The preliminary work needed to deter
mine the type OF road which can he
built most cheaply and durably, has
not yet been done. What Is needed In
the Pldmont at present is expert
along this line. The surest
way for any county to make progress
N road building Is for 1t to employ q
hrst class road engineer, one with
technical training and common sense,
and give linn reasonably free hand.
Let him work out the problem Of con-
structing o highway which cnn he
economically. which will
shed the almost constplt rainfall of
the lcng winter months, which will
lot crumble to pieces under the strain
of the heavy hauliTg which is un-
lyoldable when the crops are being
marketed and when fertilizers are
moving TO the farms. Then when the
people see the results which have
,een achieved the res. will be easy. |
The county which spende its good |
money lasishly In the absence of a !
veil defined program OF constructive
enterprise, the methods OF which have
been tested and proved by actual en-
Derience at first hand, is taking long
chances.
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