The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-29

Dr. r. b. F>urman, who discusses
Sho public road situation In a COM
municatien today. hits the nail on the
head. Road building requires the
supervision OF an engineer with spe-
ciai training and experience In that
work. Until Il II understood that
public road building requires fully an
nuch sknl and practical experience
- railroad building, there will new
- b amp peogress or any permanent
Improvement In the public roads Of
south Carolina In general and Sum-
ter county In particular. Money aiont
win not give us good roads or main
tain gooi roads-maintensuce being
the greater need In this county--for
AL the money In the county could be
wasted ON our roads and they w0hld
DO NO better than they are at present.
AZ matter OF fact a great deal of
the work that In done on the roads
does at least AZ much harm as II does
good. and the greater part of the
money expended is wasted. insofar
- permanent results are concerned.
Most Of the work has been In the
nature Of temporary makeshifts. and
the benefits have been more appar-
snt than real. II Is easy to make o
road look smooth and nice by run
ming over II with road scrape, but
all Il has to recommend II is looks
Nearly all Of our roads need grading
and drainage more than any other
ono thini;. with proper Drainage they
would BIS vastly better than they are,
but with proper grading snd a sur
face OF gravel they would be first
class In every respect. provided they
were skilfully repaired at regular
intervals. But repairs could not be
made with road srrape. A road
scrape has Its uses. II isa valuable
tool In Grading and shaping up a
roadway when In process OF construc-
ton. but II Is not q success for re-
pair work. A split log drag sensibly
and systematically used Is worth
more than all the scrapes In oxist-
ence. And the roads of Sumter coun.
ty are at present. according to com
mon report. suffering from and over.
dose of the read scrape.
The people OF Sumter county are
Interested In the subject Of good roads
and this interest is rapidly crystalizinr
Into determination that something
DO dono to improve existing condi.
lions. The interest Is evidenced b,
the communications from public spir.
Tied citizens that we are printlns
from day to day. and we now take
occasion to say that communication
Will be welcomed from all taxpayer.
who have IDEAS or suggestions OF .
constructive nature.
sumter Is the best paved town IN
the South-at least that Is the state.
ment generally made by traveline
men who visit practically all tn,
towns OF any size In the South. w,
believe that the assertion IL vel
WITHIN the facts. for during a recent
twelve hundred mile automobile trir
through GcorGia and Alabama, not q
town OF the many through which tn.
party passed was as completely ant
ss well paved as Sumter. As a rul,
I'm Georgia and Alabama the wors
roads were encountered within IN,
towns. while In South Carolina tn,
reverse was true. II d, not possibl,
to raise sufficient money. by taxation
or by a bond issue. to build road
throughout the county az good O
better than the paved streets of thi
city. bat IL is our hope that betor,
many years have passed the count
roads viii he In keeping with the cit
streets. IL can be done II the peopl
will lire mp behind the proposition
and furnish the money. and then SO
to II that money Is used to the hes
advantage I'm building the roads an
thereafter In maintaining them. Ey
en- sood read cannot take care @
itself indefinitely.
This country In at war and IL