The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-01-22
81
Good Roads Campaign
Afr r. Goodwin Rhett Outlines
the Programme of Work.

ssttsl1sS.alLOi4lODlle SlQU GiSS III SSS0NN~
Tie Chamber of Commerce las
night to. hear a report from Mr. T.
O. Rhett on his trip to Columbia
where a committee met with the
State Highway Commission and ee
take steps to put on the campaign 1o'
IS petitioning the legislature to lncrease
Siae automobile tax in order to OdlIS
per1nanent hard surface roads.
~ Mr Rhett prefaced his remarks os
81 saying that a plan had been devised
for building the finest kind OF roads
thout its costing any one a cent
81 6 figured that the saving On the aV-
3 erage automobile will be from one tt
three hundred dollars in repairs anc
depreciation If hard surface roads are
put H. The number of automobiles
IN the State has increased at very
rapid rate in the past few years, ano
sy 1921 it is but reasonable to expec'
the number of machines in this State
to reach 100 0,000 Already. the speak
ep. said, Iowa has one automobile fol-
every six persons living within tl1l
State and several States have one fo1
every seven or eight people.
committee is to- build a hard cover
system connecting all the county seats
IN the State This will take about l.
500 miles Of reads and will cost $25.-
SEQ 90 Al tax of $40 an automobile
would retire the bond issue neces-
saTy to build the roads. But to build
the roads the work must first be put
into the hands of business men-snen
who viii take hold of the propo-
sition in a business-lke way and push
III through. 1t is not work for col
lege professors and scientists. Mr.
Rhett argued that the con1naiss2or
should be Increased 50 as to give eV-
sery congressional district representa-
ton on it, In that way confidence
Wal be- esta blished and the matter
will come closer home 20 the peop!e
fr. Rhett found when he went TO
the conference there was difference Oh
opinion: The present commission
figured that it would take S44 ,0oo,ooo
sinstead ofs.S25, 900, 900, as it had hgur-
ed on wide roads all the way anu
more. mileage. The present commits
ss5sn in figuring figured on other roaos
shan those necessary to connect, the
county seats. These roads MI. Hnett
asgued, should be left to the seVeral
counties. He thinks that 1t Will pc
but aashort while after the main roads
are built before the counties VIII con-
meet up every part; OF their counties
with their own county seat.
The proposition is to petition the
3 saaeislature to increase the automobile
sstax- from 2 cents to 81, but the leg
issature will want to know why TIE
automobiie owners should be taxed
TO show them that it is agreeable a
e1sstion signed by every autono blie
sown@ in the State will be laid before
the legislature asking for the tax.
Every county is being organized for
tfe campaign to get the signatures.
nj, this end list Of the automobile
owners in each county has been put IN
The hands of a local committee to get.
the signature.
The plan for Charleston, as outlined
nv Mr.. Rhett, is to make personal
canvass of the owners and get them
toSsiGn the petition Cards will be
furnished; the workers and in case one
refuses outright TO sign that Will ne
noted upon the card. Thus the attl-
fude: of every ;.idividual concerned
viii be gotten for the use Of the leg
islature.
Mr.. Rhett does not believe that this
state will ever have any roads until
54sse matter of building them is put
ss,mad der one head and one system. TO
do this the automobile owners mere
ssly ask the State. to lend them hef
credit. The State has a credit While
zthe owners have none. This tax Will
retire the bonds when they mature
ard it will cost the State not one cent
while the owners will get a pront
from the saving on their mach:nes.
A bill has been prepared ana pre-
sented to the legislature that pro
sySaas for a bond issue in 1921. inns
rs,i carries some regulations as 10
trafhc. marking the roads, throwing
hroken glass and other things on the
road that will injure the tires ana the
like.
The legislature is asked to put the
tax on now. and that will raise at
least si.500,000, and if a bill that Is
z l,afare9 congress now providing for an
appropriation for roads passes anotn-
er sum of equal amount will be avail
able In 1920 the ten bridges neces-
sary for making the connections can
be built and in 1921 the commission
can begin upon the roads, build'Hs
only that part that thelfunds in hand
viii Justify. The counties can make
bond issues and begin building under
the supervision OF the commission
with the understanding that they are
TO be reimbursed from the State bond
issue.
Mr.. Rhett made comprehensive
explanation of the plans and th'
club voted to have dinner one even
ing next week, the time to be set nS
the governors of the club a. whlcf
the campaign for signatures to the
petition will be launched. The en-
thusiasn displayed by those presen'
indicated that Charleston Will se
behind this proposition that means
SO much. to the city. 1t is hard t(
estimate how much it will be Worti
TO the city to have connections VIII