The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-15
Bill for Good Roads
Mr.. Belser Goes Into Details OF
Proposed legislation to Insure
Better Highways.

;view,oint Of the special committee on
highway legislation, desire, as chair
man of that committee, TO make q
Statement OF the plan as conceived by
! the committee.
/ For several years past there has
: been 4 aIowinS demand Tor 4 system
! of roads suitahie for use 1T all times
and under III KINDS o. weather COW
! e!itions every form oi earth road
j has ,bccn tried out and failed 10 stand
mp in either. :; p:otrac:cd wet spell or
I long continued drought. That !, syS-
! TEN Of hard surface reads il, absolute
/ ~ necessary Tor satisfactory autono-
/, bile tl.lrtic and truck traffic is con-
cedcd by :.l' thinking people.
/ With this as q premise, and TeaiiZ-
!; inc the especial benefits to accrue -
auto ON opilist. from the construction
of the contemplated road system. and
/ beI;evlra that q iarG" majority q Inc
autonobilists will and do favor :aHEE
plan which offers reasonable @ss'1f-
iance Of the attainment OF q system
OF good roads the committee t}":.;d-
"a that the most feasible plan of
financing the system was ty mems
Of an automobile license t;,x- TIC con-
n1itlce realizes fully that ii r2&:bl!-; s
mot an entirely equitable PROPOSE !on
20 throw the entire borden oi the
construction OF the state highway 50
TEN on ;ne aUtoluobiIi:tS. But mas
much as a State system from county
scat TO county scat, as contc:api&5od
nv the committee. viii be Of very
snecial henefit 20 ard IS especially dc
sirot: by the antonohilists, the pro22-,
/ sition is not IS ;neGuitatle as il niaE
first seem. :.
.rus. 1t this point we desire to ca'l
attention to the fact that the biz
ccntenaplates leaving all road funds
nov available for road work in t'le
counties for use OF and under ne
control Of the county authorities, ana
that the only funds which the corr
ties are now getting which will be
trrned over to the State highway
commission is thu, portion 81 the small
automobile Sax which goes 10 e2ch
county in the present act; and tna'
this will be far moro than compenstt-
ed for by the funds expended in the
county ty the plan proposed IN eae
measure by the committee.
The bill provides for q highway
commission consisting Of the cn:ef
engineers Of the University. OF the
Citadel and Of Clemson, and Of seen
business Iner appointed by tho gove,'1-
or-one from each congressional dAs-.
trict. This commission is TO lay out
a, system of State highways connect
ing the county seats OF the State
The particular roads which! will be Sc
lected will be selected By the con-
mission after hearings in the county
seats which each road Of the systcin IS
10 connect.
TWENTY-FIVE per cent OF the roc
nues derived from the automobile IL
censes is to be set aside for bridge
fund, the preparation for the ncces-
sary surveys for the roads ana iof
the maintenance of, the highway Ge-.
partnent; the remaining IS per cent.
CT the automobile taxes and any ot:."r
funds which may become avaHahle
for highway construction by the h!En-
3vay commission, !s TO be expended IN
the construction Of hard surface
highways, forming a part OF the state
highway system And the bill pro-
vi1,es that the work shall commence
in each county simultaneously at the
county seats, and the funds available
for construction each year be appor-
toned among the counties in the pro
portion which the mileage lying IN
that county bear" to The whole sEs-
tenn.
II is estimated that the automobile
licenses will within the next year or
two amount to Approximately s., ooo.-
900 per anaun1. and this With available
federal aid will provide an annua!
fund Of approximately 81. 100000
The bill is designed to proyidr the
machinery for laying out and con-
structing the highway system grad
ualiy il only the automobile licensees
and federal funds are avail;l;r. {;
Should the people Of tic STATE vote
bonds for the purpose nf highway
construction, it provides that the trT-
enucs derived from the autom"b:ie
tax may be used 10 pay principal ;':d .
interest Of such bonds.
The bond plan will set quicker r;'-
suits and enable the commission "a
complete. the system III . period ~
some thing IKE five or six years. !'h"Ha
is no provision 10: submitting NC
bond ISSUE to tn. people in this n'i:'
but it is contemplated that (. s'.p:'
rate isauc providing for the Suhnll%-.
sion of tho question: OF a bond ISSUE
to the people wi!l b. offered
Should The bond issue fail, il Is
contemplated that the people, hari'iS
evidenced Il desire to secure y :::5Jsteir
OF permanent highways, will hr
willing 10 stand for special levy .:
on. or TWO uiiiiS ~ provide. funds 70
supplement the ;,utc:nobiie. iccns".;:
end also that It Viii be practicahi" 10
wori. oul 4 ,::ia to: the assessment "l
THE admitting l:t:lds along the p"fii:i-
neIt highways constructed for a :'inA.!
proportion Of tht cost OF the hiSl-
,vay--e,y IL per cent rom III" pfGP-
erty on onch side OF the road 10 4
dcpth Of perhaps q mile. Cnd"r the!
latter nian. from :he ;,utou:obi!" IL