The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-04-04
AS TO ROADS.

COlumO1a on SATURDAY Sdiu Ae Houlo
not hesitate "two and a half minutes
to call an extra session of the legis-
lature and urge the passage of soma
good roads legislation" if he were the
governor of the State. That he would
rather be the father of good roads
movement than any other thing he
could think of except his two children
over in Lexington.
Well. that sounds mighty good and
no doubt Mr.. Lever is a good ROADS
advocate of the right sort, but it is
very difficult to say just what you
would do if you were the other fell
low We do not take back seat to
any one in the advocacy of good
roads. In fact, we were advocating
the building of good roads when we
almost stood alone, and when Mr..
Lever was a school boy at Newberry
college, and we have lost no oppor-
tunity to do so all the years since
we have been connected with The
Herald and News. And yet if we
were governor we are not prepared
to say that we would call an extra
session of the legislature, especially
in view of the fact that the legisla-
ture has just adjourned and the pres
ent governor urged them while IN
session to pass some sort Of good
roads law, and they would not. The
responsibility for failure rests with
the legislature and not with the
governor, and if he were to call an
extra session and they would not
again, then where would he be. The
cost and trouble of the extra session
would be laid to his door. Those VINO
are now urging him to call the extra
session would be among the first TO
say that he should. have known the
sentiment Of the house and that there
had only recently been given the op-
portunity to pass some sort OF road
legislation and they would not.
Then we should look at this thing
in practical sort of way. Under the
: estimate OF the highway department
OF the State it is stated that il New
berry county for instance should
match the federal aid it would have
some $134OO0 and with that we could
build enly-about: miles OF one Kind
of road and 3S miles Of another kind
and we do not believe that the people
are just ready right now to spend
that much money for that many miles
Of road.
It seems to US that the only way
to start the building of such roads IS
for the State to match the federal aid
appropriation and then go ahead and
build a couple cross State roads
where those in authority might think
was the most feasible place to locate
them, and when the people can see
what such roads mean then they will
be in position to be argued with foc
larger expenditures for permanent
roads. There can be no doubt that
money spent on the building of roads
is a good investment and should not
be classed among ordinary taxes
which are spent from year to year 20
keep the machinery of the govern
ment running. And when We build
the kind that we call permanent
some provision should be made for
their maintenance, because as a MAJ
ter Of fact there are no permanent
roads, and unless you provide for the
maintenance, the permanent roads will
soon be in bad condition. Better let
the discussion go on for a little
. while and give the legislators little
more time to find out what the people
think and what the people want.
The above was written for the last
issue but owing to our inability 70
handle great deal of type under pres
ent conditions it could not he used.
Gov. Cooper has since given an
nouncement that he will not call an
extra session of the legislature. We
agree with him that it is very proba-
BILE that not to call the extra session
will hasten the accomplishment OF
the object sought In other words it
will give the boys more time to find
out how the people think about the
matter and if they find that the peo'
pie really mean that they want some
road legislation it will come at the
k~ nvon