The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-12-02
GOOD ROADS.

. u . N -. -, D.
Three or four years ago, when the times
were uncertain, and when the people dlo
not know what might come forth from the
conflict being waged on the other side OF
5lthe big waters a movement was launched
in This county to issue bonds to the amount
Of three hundred thousand dollars for the
brilding Of so-called good roads. Whhe
fine Press and Banner then stated that we,
along with everybody else, were in favor
4 Of good roads. we stated further that the
time was not ripe for the building OF these
roads, and that the roads proposed to De
built were not in fact good roads. We op-
posed the bond issue{ Tt was defeated. We
promised the people then that we Would
haNVe something to say when the time ior
action arrived. It has arrived in our Judg-
ment. ss ~,
The intervening years have proved tnat
we were right in our contention that DIRT
roads will not stand the heavy traffic now
]. being carried over them, least OF all that
which is to come after. 1t has been dem
onstrated that it is false economy to bulld 10
cheap roads just as it is to: build cheap
house. Until man can make up his MIND NJ
to spend the proper amount OF money TO
construct the right sort Of house, ne had
far better wait awhile. We have gained
by waiting. We have profited by the ex-
perience of others.
Just now, when people are again talking
good roads in this county we would like to
offer few suggestions. They are not
new. These and many other suggestions
have come from people interested in road
{ building in the state From these sugges-
tions we are able to make choice Of some
which in our Judgment promise the best
results. ~ X y. s;sa
We do not favor asstate system of roads
exclusively, and we believe now that it's
not wise to make the county the sole unit
in road construction. The demands 1.-the
times make it necessary that there be great
: thoroughfares through the length and
breadth of the state The county to- coun- 3.
ty plan. as we understand it, has its mer-5.
it's, but this must be compromised with
the merits of through roads. Our conclu
j sion is that we should have at least two !;
great highways leading across the state
from the East to the West, and from m the
4 North to the South least, connecting
The most important points in the state.
These highways would of course go
through many Of the county seats. Sup. 8;
plementing them, roads should be run
from each county seat to connect with !:
these at the most accessible points. For
instance. if a road runs from Greenville,
through Laurens, to Columbia and on TO 2.
Charleston, we believe that q branch line,
so to speak, should be constructed from
Laurens, through Greenwood, through Alb &
beville, and to the Georgia line, and there
connect with Georgia road, and thus all
county seats should be connected with thes
main lines, so to speak This would IN
J sure to each county just proportion OF
the roads built, and would connect every
county-seat with every other county seat
in the state by an accessible route. When
these state highways are built, the coun-
ties should supplement the work done by
building other roads within the county,
connecting with these more important
highways, all of the county roads, how
ever, to be built under surveys and speciti-
cations of the State Highway Commission,
which should be body composed of the
best engineering talent in the state, and
with authority to do things. We are not:
however, discussing so much the county
Z work. The first step in the work is the
surveying and the planning OF the state
highway system. To that the people should
give their attention first.
And the matter which demands atten-
ton in the very beginning is the where
withal for the work. That is simple. Ev-
erybody will profit by the building Of these
roads. They tend to the building Of
the whole state, and should be supported
: in that view, by taxation accordingly as the
general public is benefited. A tax of four
mills per year for ten years would make at
present assessments something like eleven
.a;N;a.a of dollans auoilohle for fhe yX0rk