The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-08

county funds do not In
crease perceptibly. Our taxes are al
ready among the highest in the State.
being 10 IA mills. exclusive OF sDo-
ciai school taxes. Some counties pay
more. from o Ia to % i-2 and IN Ian
caster so much as "a "a mills. Taxes
are high. but property values are low
and unequal.
Present County Bonds.
In 1910 the county was authorized
to sell $4,000 bonds for road i'm
provement $4,000 of this amount
was sold by our predecessors. and the
money expended on bridges. equip.
ment. drain pipes. etc. Under the act
authorizing the bonds. the county is
forbidden to issue more than $4,000
In any one year. The Board has un-
der consideration the sale of the re-
mainder OF these bonds; $4,000 this
year and $4,000 in 1913. Before they
can do this however. they must con-
suit our legislators, because an addi-
tional tax will be necessary to pay in
terest and provide fund for pay
ment Of the bonds when they come
due. There is now special tax of
one-fourth Of mill, which is not
enough to take care Of the bonds al
ready sold; and further sales mean
more taxes. 1t is q matter of COM
mon knowledge that the Board has no
power to levy taxes. that is strictly a
legislative function. And right here
there Is somewhat Of q dilemma, for
we have but one representative re-
naming. Senator Epps and Mr.. Nc
Cutchen have gone into military SER
vice. and Mr. Sanders has become Su-
perintendent Of the Penitentiary. Mr..
ID. d. Noise Is the only one left to us.
Should we sell these bonds. part Of
the funds derived therefrom, might be
expended on the Black River road,
for which there Is demand for i'm
provement. Certainly from current
income the enterprise Is impossible,
beyond the customary work of MAIN
tenance.
Our county. fortunately, or unfor-
tunately as the case may be, is not a
rocky country. We have no material
for permanent roads, and the only
way to get them is to buy elsewhere
The cost, including transportation, dis
tribution and rolling. Is large--thou-
sands of dollars per mile. There is
said to be good grade of gravel near
Statcburg. but 80 far az we know. II
has not been thought of as a perma-
ncnt material by any one who Is COM
petent to judge In such matters. Even
II 1t be Of good quality. the cost of
transportation by wagons and trucks,
would be prohibitive. except on roads
I'm the immediate vicinity.
Permanency Is an indefinite term
when applied to road materials. and
means different lengths of duration to
different minds. The best clay roads
we have. do not last very long. and
the Stateburg gravel may not be
much better than the best clay. We
do not know about that; but we
would be glad to use 1t, II It be found
of sufficient permanency to justify the
enormous expenditure; provided VIC
had the means. We certainly haven't
1t now, for the county is running on
$4,000 borrowed money. which must
be repaid from taxes this winter.
Permanent Roads.
Our friends who went recently or
tho boil weevil trip to Georgia and
Alabama, came back with enthusiastic
praise for some of the roads over
which they travelled. We would be
glad IL all our roads were as good as
the best anywhere; and we are no,
without hope that we may yet have
roads OF which to boast But IL that
ope Is ever realized. the people mus,
provide the whcrewithal. We pay
taxes. just as other citizens do, and
we will go as far as the most pro.
gressive people, to get the right kind
of roads. One Of our friends afore.
said. tells us that some OF those fine
roads run right through the material
OF which they are madc-rock and
gravel right at hand in abundance
One Of the counties. Montgomery
county, Alabama. had expended two
millions of dollars for good roads. and
the money was not raised by ordinary