The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-12-14

| n:tion factories and placticinS saoo-
/ tage aadespionagc Of various forms
/ have beer assembled by the depart
,rent Of jastice IN preparation for
! disclosure. it Yves sad today, but Of
fcials have not decided whit por-
/ ,ion it will be wise 20 give OCT.
member from each congressional dis
trict and one member from each
coGrty. This committee viii oe ap-
pointed within few days.
Il. 6. Rhelt, in presenting the plan
decided upon by the committee, said
that the iInaginations CT tho people
should be appealed to, and that South
! Carolina now EaS a chance to attain
to her full growth and development
He said that now was the time fer
South Carolina to declare whether or
rot she is ready to be 9 leader ora
! laggard in development. He then read
the following preliminary statement:
Your committee On plan begs first
TO submit certain facts which shouic
be known and understood before its
proposals are presented.
y-ay system in South Carolina. The
State Highway commission. CT ,ateG i'll
February, 1917, is composed Of five
members Of whom three are senior
professors OF engineering ct colleges,
and the ether two ere 2rpoin;ees o!
I the governor 1t is limited in its pow
ers and duties to investigation anc
advice. AT least fcur-Gfths of the
amount it collects from licenses Il
turned over 10 the counties. UEdel
the r-e3ert act it is not possible to
establish a system, of State highways
and vour committees recommends
lions contemplate such amendments
TO this act as in its judgment. would
be necessary both to establish anc
maintain in good condition and Ee-
pair at least 800 miles OF we'll sur
faced highways connecting every
County seat in the State.
/ TO do this would require very
,aree su:el possibly =333.2oo.h 500 or eEea
So. n6G. .oc0. and without the credit ~
the State behind Il. ,:li; would be !n2-
nrac.icahlc. Under the constitution
/ this credit may not be extended : n
less two-thirds Of TIE qualified elea-
tors of this State, voting on the oues.
ton at a general Stale election, be IN
/ favor. of IL Until, Novemhef. 1870,
there will be no opportunity for SUD
hitting this question TO suca vote
IIcwever. there IS n1uch to be done
in the establishment Of system OF
state highways before surfacing them.
and it viii be found that year ana
q half will not be too long tire TO
! lay cut such a system and acquire
tile TO the roads.
In the meantime, however, Your
committee proposed plans for surfac-
ing roads in sucil counties as nay de-
sire to have thci:, portion Of their
I; highways now constructed within
their limits.
"Et is Gear at the outset that two
thirds os the qualified voters voting on
the question would never favor any
large issue OF state bonds to be re-
tired by genera! taxation. 1t must be
made clear that the general pubic are
20 nay no partof this tax. 1t is rab-
lic Improvement which SO particularly
benefits the motor vehicle owner tfat
he can well afford to pay it all. an" te
should so unmistakably express him
self. There are now over 50, 900 a'.to-
mobiles registered IN this state ana
they have paid licenses during the
wear. in round numbers. 1920. 800 The
increase Of automobiles in the STATE
for the past two years has been from
Is 00o in 1915 to 5000 in 1917 to 65,-
); 600 in 1918. The Increase in the Uniteo
States from January /. 1916. 70 Jana-
arv I. 1918. was over 100 per cent.
iowa ALREADY has one car to every SIN
persons.
.,ro retire s25. 5.00a"oa Of il per
i, cont bonds serially in % years would
.lrAct;rc ai,G,it 81 SG0 900 per H-cc''. An
average license. Of $50 per car on
100 .ooo ca-s wo1ld Yield $2.ooo,Hoo
With $50 900 cars Il would take Sl2
per car. Tnc present average License
is So. per car.
IF every owner of car would
figure his saving in gasoline and re-
na;r bills in year. provided there
wera 1900 miles OF hard surfaced
highways kept N good order IN the
state. II would be found that TINS
a,,,o1,,t will no between s10G &n1 $50"
Ier an.1nnn. Fe therefore. is ask2n@
the state to permit him to invest Iro'''
SO 10 Sl5 per annum, TO save 1rofa
s10G 10 $200--a total saving. 10 fhe
oooplc Of the state Of over 500 100
per annu.n III money. 1t would De
hard 70 compute tho saving in time
With this prelude. your committee
becs to report its recommendation as
follows:
"Tbe State highway commission
should be given the power to acGure
rights Of way and lands by purchase
OF. condemnation for the purpose o.
, establishing State highway system.
connecting al county seats: to cor
Ia i; ;,rln. l.,