The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-26
The ROAD QUESTION.
M. krasnOf1 Emphasizes the Point
Tint Criticism Of Bad Roads is Not
Inspired by Personal Spite.
Editor Daily Item:

leid1iVe 10 the ROAD question, and be-
ing one of your correspondents on this
subject, with no other object in view
except of bringing out the question
before the people for consideration
and possible constructive action. 7
take the liberty of using your liberal
offer of these columns, to categori-
cally resent the Commissioners init.
nation as to my motives, which their
Introduction to the statement implics
I am not a politician and have no
rocks to split with any anyone. am
not acquainted personally with any of
the commissioners, and have no spite
against any of them. 1 have not crit
icised them personally, only stating
some facts which have not been de-
MED SO far. therefore, though not an
expert in the line. they fully support
the facts I have stated and 1 have no
apologies to make.
The only one personally known to-
me is Mr.. White, and l have been re.
preached by several of your readers
for criticisng Mr.. White, whom + sun
ported in the last election, and I will
state that my support Of him did not
take away my right as citizen to
criticise him. II thought his admin
istration faulty, and will do SO. when
ever 1t appears to me that criticism
is needed. be he plain politician or
personal friend. But IL the commits
sioners would read and consider the
spirit in which it was written, they
would not have expressed such bitter
feelings against their criticisers, es-
pecially as my observations alluded
not to Sumter county particularly, but
to all highways into this section of
the State, where 1t is not so much
the personnel Of the commission or
supervisors. but the system where DO
iitical influences are injected in con-
structive public utilities. 1t has been
intimated to me In some instances
that work has been done. knowing 1t
to be useless. simply to satisfy section
al constituents and vice versa. An
other thing, In some instances, is
lack Of business-like systematic con-
siderations of the most needed things
to be done.
will call your attention to one lit
tie instance in this immediate vicinity.
There Is a short road between Second
Mill cand Cane Savannah, about .
miles, which is practically a farm
road and is very seldom used by the
general public, yet this road was
graded and clayed. Another road is
the Cane Savannah road s miles,
which Is not very important and is so
little used that 1t is always full of
grass and weeds from lack of use, yet
this road was graded and partly clay
ed, but some of our leading roads to
Sumter are neglected for lack of
funds. This may be not the commits
sioners' nor the supervisors fault and
may have been done by some under
lings. but the blame falls on the sys-
tenn just the same.
I MAJ De mistaken as to the import
ance Of some roads, but when I see
road representing cow pasture
come to the conclusion it is very sell
dom used.
have the highest regard. PERSONAL
ly. for the commissioners and Mr.
White. who is personal friend of
mine. and I may support him again.
as know him to be a conscientious
and capable man, but whenever any
one takes political job he should ex-
| pect all kinds Of just and unjust crit
icisms, and should not lose his temp
er. as this does not improve things TO-:
tthe welfare Of the community and
does not make things right If they arc
wrong. Whatever we say or do let us
mot lose our tempers. but let us work
In harmony and in a cool. delibera' :
way, because only in that way can we
accomplish things beneficial for all.
l have noticed that Mr.. White in
troduced a system of trackways on
our bridges which is a great improve
ment, in that it strengthens the whole
bridge. eliminates jarring and dis
tributes the pressure more generally
over the whole structure and insures
smoother riding and longer wear for
the bridges as we'll as for vehicles.
Now II he will just add about feet
extension to the trackway beyond the
actual bridge forming a gradual in
cline. instead Of q sudden bump on
| a anproo ol,ix,r tho hIidcra tho Inn nroye-