The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-10-16
Rad SYSTEM e.,
FOR CAROLINA
GOVERNOR AND HIGHWAY COM.
MISSION PROPOSE MEAS
URE TO LEGISLATURE


Providing for system OF State
highways and authorizing a license
tax for their construction and main
tenance, a proposed bill, to be pre-
sented to the next General Assembly,
has been drafted by Governor Coop
er and the members Of the State
Highway Commission. 1t is an
amendment to the present law and
differs fundamentally from it in sew
eral particulars.
The greatest change is the taking
over of the arterial highways Of the
State and placing them under the di-
rect supervision of the highway de-
oartment. This department is en-
powered to construct a system OF
State highways, connecting each
county seat with the main highways
of continuous States. The State high
way engineer is to designate what
the arterial roads are to be and Is
allowed to enter into condemnation
proceedings. All bridges over streams
and rivers on the system are placed
under the supervision of the commits
sion.
To Offer Assistance.
The State highway engineer is In
structed to give advice to the county
authorities in the constructing OF
county roads, when requested, and to
give expert assistance whenever, IN
his opinion, it is necessary or expedl-
ent.
The State highway and bridges are
to be maintained by the State high
way department, and it likewise is
permitted to keep in repair the roads
leading through towns Of 1000 pop
ulation or less, upon the consent OF
the authorities of those municipali-
ties. The material of which the roads
are to be constructed is left IN the
discretion of The highway commission,
but they must be so constructed as
to "take care of the traffic which
may reasonably be expected to devel-
op upon it"
The license fees in the bill for the
year 1920 are the same as under the
present law--,25 cents per horse-pow-
er of motor-driven vehicles and
dealers license of SIS per annum for
each and every different make OF
motor-vehicle handled.
However, under the proposed bill,
the license for 1921 will be so cents
per horsepower for every automobile
and motorcycle, and the following
annual schedule for trucks: One-ton,
s12; two-ton, $50; three-ton, $50;
four-ton, $50; fve-ton, $125; six-ton,
5000; seven-ton, $3.50; and eight-ton,
and over, $3.50. Dealers license will
be $50 per annum for each and every
make of motor vehicle sold by him.
License Money Prorated.
Under the present law the money
derived from licenses sold from the
various counties is prorated. Twenty
per cent goes to the highway COM
mission. Under the proposed act, 70
per cent goes to the State Highway
Commission and rs per cent to the
individual counties. This latter
amount, howver, is to be expended
in the counties on the State system,
and not on the county roads. Should
any county have surplus, it will be
allowed with the approval OF the
State highway engineer, to expend 1t
on county roads, upon the approprl-
alton by the county of an equal
amount to the surplus. The 25 per
cent going to the State highway de-
partment is to be expended by it for
its expenses and for aid to the coun-
ties in the construction ana main
tenance of State funds available to
the State Highway.
The prorJsed act provides that the
roads and bridges will be maintain
ed by the highway department after
they have been approved and taken
over into the State system and that
mo salary of $4,000 and is allowed
to Commission for maintenance OF
highways or to the several counties
for construction or Improvement.
shall be expended in payment OF
claims for rights of way or surface
materials, both of which shall be
supplied by the county authorities
Salary Not Named
Under the present law the State
highway engineer is given,an annual
Iaries of $4,000 and disallowed to
anlo,, tyuo assistant engineers at