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

man Suffrage, government OEnCrSni /
of telegraph and long distance tele
phone lines, universal! military train
! ing, merchant marine, a birart::sa1
monthly newspaper issued by the gov
erment and many other matters of i'm
pcrtance to the nation in it's effort
| to get back to a peace basis. William
| Jennings Bryan last night held 70
an hour and 9. half the undivided at
! tention of the delegates to the goot
reads convention, meeting in tn.
house Of representatives Mr.. Bryan
was at his best and his comments OF
private monopoliea,- universal militar,
training, woman's suffrage and othel
subjects were frequently appiauded.
In the beginning Of his address h,
said that he intended to discus ia.
tional issues before touching on gooC
reads, merely referring in jocular veil
to some experiences his wife had had
IN negotiating roads in Georgia. an6
saying that she would be glad te
know that at least one man, referring
to Judge Patterson who had prccede ed
him in an address. was interested IN
good roads in Georgia
After ably discussing the IA prob
lens which he says the nation is call
ed upon to face, he expressed his hope
that the god roads movement would
meet with favor, and that the national
highways would be tapped by State
has hways which in turn would be CON
nectedi with county highways SO that
q network of roads extending into
every part of the country would be
constructed. His address was ac-
corded the closest attention and elicit
ed most favorable comment He was
introduced by Senator-elect T. b.
Pearce.
After A. B. Garter, president Of the
State Automobile Association, had
called the meeting to order he pre-
sented Frank S. Evans, Of Greenville
who introduced Judge Thomas E.
Patterson OF Georgia.
Jude Patterson in his Introduction
predicted that South Carolina and
Georgia, which have come to realize
the heavy expense Of poor roads. Will
soon have the best highways IN tbs
cuntry
The countryside has Become de-
populated" he said. '.It ha been given
overlto negro tenants, and the white
people have moved by the hundreds
into the towns and cities Good roads
will vitalize our country life again,
and make it as attractive as it was SO
years ago"
He said that the roads Of the past
Will no longer prove satisfactory to
heavy cars and trucks. and that a new
sort of road would have to be con-
In speaking Of the plan to issue
bonds and increase the tax on au-
.omobiies he said that the bond issue
was the only possible solution Of the
financial question involved. and that
ne tax ought in justice 20 be borne
oy car owners, holding that the au-
,omobile was q dangerous vehicle
and that in return for the privileges
If using the highways the car owners
ought to be willing to meet the in
creased tax. The same plan will be
.ried out in Georgia. he said, as viii
De suggested at the meeting today.
He mentioned some Of the adEal-
.ages that will result from n system
Of we'll maintained dustiess highways
and said that much new blood would
be brought into the citizenship. Tour
lists he said were afraid to Enger IN
South Carolina for fear that rains
would fall and prevent them from
getting out again.
Judge Patterson gave many inter
esting side lights on the road sltua-
ton in Georgia, and urged the adop-
ticn Of some plan in this State bE
which durable highways may be con-
His speech was given close
The good roads delegates will meet
again this morning al 10 o'clock at the
State house for consideration OF the
plan for constructing the highways
which will be submitted by COM
mittee.