The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-08-01
BUILDING ROADS.

III tenSo Oh te IeaoeiS VI lilo oPS 10 SoNSo ~ "S NS' VI "A'
ties sin the Act for issuing road bonds in this county. We referred to this
matter last week incidentally, intending this week to discuss the matter
more fully. The letter of Mr.. Meschne adds o the subject.
In every city and town in South Carolina 10 far as we have known which
been assessed against TIT abutins property holders and n public ha'
been taxed for only a part of the cost. This has been done for this reason
A mn who owns property Greenvile street secures "a great enhance
ment in the value of his real estate when that street is paved, while a man
who owns property o. a street running parallel with Greenvile, which is
not paved, secur such enhancement in the value of his property, be-
cause the people generally will want to live o. the paved streets, and will
be willing to pay more rent for residences o these streets, with the re-
suit that property o n streets which m nt paved will go down and become
less desirable. The mn who n no property obtains n o benefit fnanei'
ally from the paving of streets. And it is for the ressons stated that ali.
ting property holders n assessed for the direct benefits which cor to
their lands before the public is taxed for the incidental benefit coming from
the good streets. And this is right.
Now the sam rule should obtain, we submit, in che building of roads. IF
W e concede for the sake of argument that sand clay roads will prove good
roads and permanent roads, which W do OF concede as matter of fact, who
should pay for them? Manifeshy the public which travels the roads should
pay a portion of the cost by taxation, but the public should no more pay
the whole cost by way of taxation than the public should pay the whole cost
for permanent streets in the city. DR.. Neufer was putting through the bill
to make all the people in the county pay by taxation, the WHOLE COST
of building the so-ealled good roads. He as a the same time having a
Constitutional Amendment submitted to the people of the State whereby
Abbevlle for a portion of the expense of building Permanent streets. If the
abutting property holders in the city of Abbevile should pay a portion of the
cost of building good streets o. roads sin the city of AbbeviNe why should
abutting property holders not pay a portion of the COST the county, or
As a matter of fact we have heard a great deal about Greenvile county
bu;ldnq u D along the 165 miles of new highway built in that county, but
W e hve lot heard from the other W thousand miles of highway which is
not being worked, except through the Piedmont, from which paper we
quoted last week to show that the roads in other sections were getting in
Such bad condIon nat Inc united. StaISS NoVeIn"eHt " dooot ~ oeSoh
tinue a number of rural mail routes. Does not every sensible man know
that while the lands on the new roads are being built up and made mor
and acres of lands lying O other roads not being so worked IRE becoming
less desirable, harder to rent, and much less easily reached oil account of
the bad roads?
And let us come on home. 1t is proposed to build n hundred and fifty
or w hundred miles of roads. These roads will be built to sui the MEM
bers of the Commission, whoever they may be; they have supreme power
in the NATTER AS human beings, when there arr VIC routes % a given point
equally desirable, they arr going to take the route which is most satisfying
to the friends of the majority. What will be the result? The lands lying
on these roads, if they prove permanent will become nor desirable will
msnd and receive ore rent for the lands, while the man whose lands
not reached will suffer because hi. lands arr less desirable, harder to REACH
less sought after by renters, and will therefore sell for less.
Under these circumstances, we ask the people o AhbeVIle county ID
should pay for these roads? Should the people who WI n lands whose
value will be enhanced, should the people who own lands which will not be
reached, pay taxe. to enhance the value of the lands OF a very few people
or should the people whose land, lie along the roadwaya and adjoining it
pay a good portion of the cost before the public is taxed? We have told
the people of this county and W G tell them again that II great inequality is
sought to be foisted o the people of this county by the highest priced
campaign which ha. yer been pulled of in Abbevile county. There ar
people interested in enhancing the price of their real estate at the expense
of the public when the public will reap only a portion of the benefits, and
we say that the people to be directly benefited 'houid pay n al able .'
pay for their advantage which will come to them from tho supposed roads,
if the bonds are voted.
There il. another confederation in th. matter. If the abutting property
holders o each side of the proposed road. would pay twenty-five per cent.
of the COS. of the road. a. far a. they 60 through the hnd' of such owners
still make fewe little graves" if bad roads make "more little graves"
roadway and help twice as many people.
By s. doing W would enhance that much moro property which bring tho
benefits of good roads, if they r good, neare to Tor people, buhd up
the school. in or places, if the roads will build up the schools and
make fewer little graves" if bad roads make more little Hr've'"
The pr.ent Act because it proposes to tx al tn people or o0eV
county O. a equal basis % hoist the price Of III an o a very fw people
is UNEQUAL in its. operation, unjust and entirely discriminatory. Ninety per
cent. Of the people of Abbevle county should not be taxed to enhance the
value of the property of tel per cent. of the people, when his ten pr cent
are able to raise twelve hundred dollars to pull of a campaign or ucat
They should educate themselves o bearing thu burdens OF tn eneht 'nes
expect to receive and not expect the people whose property is moi to b'
benefited, and those people who WI nj real estate,t to contribute n mite
towards the enlargement of their fortunes.
And because it is unequal and unjust, the people should vote against
the proposed bond issue, and tell the bond advocates to go bacE M naVe
a proper bill passed, SO that if the people at the proper tne' 'hen me-
have found out whether sand clay roads ar permanent n not desire 20
build roads, they Ia do 80 with fairness to all and with special benefits
to none. Every man who wants o treat fairy with MS neshbor houi
vote against the tissue of bonds now proposed.