The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-01-08
A Good Investment
A Permanent System Of High
ways Would Mean Many Dol
lars in the Pockets of
Automobile Owners.

Automobile Owners.
Columbia, Jan. 3.-That the s2o,-
10000 bond issue for the construction
of a permanent system of highways IN
the State would be a splendid eco
nonaic investment for the automoo!le
owners, who would have to pay the
tax with which the bord issue wouio
be carried and retired the OPINION
of r. Goodwin Rhett, of Charleston
who attended the conference of repre-
sentative men firm over the State heid
here yesterday. Mr.. Rhett proceed
ed to produce some facts and figures
to Justify his assertion.
How many automobile owners
asked Mr.. Rhett, .Gl2ave figured no"
much their cars are costing lhehl
per annum and how much of this cost
is due to the cllodition Of the "o2os
over which they travel. The average
cost of the registered cars in the u1h-
ted States is 5000 and the average HE
of a car is three years. After lGur-
,, ing the cost of gasoline ard Oil; NE
cost of tires and tubes; the cost OF
repairs and renewals and the cost |
depreciation, how much Of this w"ald
be saved if the surface of the roads
was made smooth and kept smooth.
and how much of the automoble
travel of the State would be over a
system of 1900 miles Of roadWays
connecting its county seats If such a
syetem should be made and kept
smooth I have asked number OF
owners to give Iae their estimates OF
the saving in expense to them IN
such event and the replies have rang
ed from s10O upward Of course there
are some who seldom use their cars,
| and who would estimate their saving
to be much less, and there are some
who would not expect to make mucn
use OF, such a roadway. but they are
conipartivelysfew and i such system
were established. most Of them would
! find way to use it more and more
Some owners live five, ten and in lSo-
! lated cases, even more miles away
from any probable roadway Of such
system. Their hope Of getting the
| local county roads improved lies IN
the construction Of this State sys-
TEN, which will create a demand in
! the counties that cannot be denied.
The money from the United States
government, it will be noted, is left to
help such county roads. But after
ali the aggregate saving to the car
/ owners Of the State would exceed Sl00
each, and what owner of a car would
object to saving s35 per annum on the
! expense of his car by adding S13 to
his annual license tax? The general
resources Of the counties are not
| touched, nor are the federal funds
provided to aid in the Improvement
Of roads, and any county that desires
TO provide itself with improved lat
erals to the main system has ever,'
resource for that purpose it now en-
joys save the pittance received as It's
share of the present automobile Ii
cense tax.
The farmer, in greater and eat
er mum bers, is earning enough to send
his children off to school and college.
He is finding it more and more diff
cult to induce these children to cora"
back and live upon the farm because.
| it is isolated from the social life ant:
amusem ents to which they have
grown accustomed. Such a system rf
highways would bring most farms
within easy reach Of some town or
city by night or by day in fair or in
rainy weather and would soon result
in bringing all farms within such
reach of community pleasures. The
/ farmers wife now too leads a decay
! life in her isolation. She would soon
be running in-and out Of town and
finding life e totally different thing.
The government statistics show tn5t
the average cost Of hauling a bale Of
cotton in the United States is over
| 75c; Of a ton Of cotton seed is over
| $500; etc, and that over so per cent
| Of this is saved where the roads are
properly surfaced and properly main
| tained This will never be done until
the fol,nGation for it has been laid
! in a State system Of hard surfaced
roads, which will constitute tn arter-
les connecting all the coln- seats.
| South Carolina is just marketing .
cotton crop worth over $3.50, 900, 600.
Last summer it marketed G tobacco
crop which brought over $40, 600, 900.
The cotton mills have made more in
the past two years than in the pre-
ceding ten years and the fertilizer and
other factories have done almost if not
altogether as well. The merchants
wholesale and retail, have generally
had the best year Of 1he;r careers.
The income of the people nf tho State
FOR 1918 has largely exceeded ne ass
essed value of its property, real and
personal. They have caught new
pace, and for the first time are in
condition to obtain for themselves the
good roads which have been enjoy
ed by other States for many wears.
and which have done so much TO help
them to greater prosperity as well as
20 greater happiness.
The opportunity is now at hand
without any COS, whatever to the tax
payer generally and with magnif-
cent profit to the very large majority
Of automobile owners. Let us make
tn: most of it,