The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-12
MORE ROADS
ARE NEEDED
Mr.. E. w. Dabbs Discusses Road
Problem and Tells Why
There Is Opposition to
the Bond Issue


! Salem Black River. May I, 1926
Mr. EDITOR.
We had a very interestins. meeting
of the patrons Of two rural schools
here recently to hear Miss Splgrei
discuss rural organization Io:' .;o3:.
munity Improvement Miss Spigner
Mrs. Mathis, who some of hs heard
Fat the Columbia meeting Wednesday
snd some of the speakers IF l'le Re3-
path chautauqua, who have reached
.teEs Of thousands of our peor'e IN
tie past few weeks, are tao.a.; 9feat
work for the present and future cen
e:sttions.
Some facts that have been brought
out at these meetings are startllnG,
and if we do not heed the warnings
athat have been given, woe. woe hGrt-
tefable is staring us as peoFe IN he
face.
! Last night Hon r. B. Eelssr III
Idressed a representative audience at
tShiloI, on the hard surface road ;'crd
issue In a very comprehens: 'e talk
OF about an hour he fully answered all
OF the objections that have been ralse.1
against the measure. After ''3.ag
every one present who was still in
doubt to state his objections. Mr. E.
w. Dabbs, Jr., moved that Il rising
vote be taken. This was heartily sec
onded and but one voter failed to rise.
He said that he did not vote t. tho
measure because so many promises
ars made that are not kept.
The most serious objection that h&s
been raised anywhere is that the pro-
pesed issue will not provide money
enough to adequately cover the coun-
ty and that SOME sections the most in
need OF hard surface roads will Ire
left out Mr.. Belser assured the ,au-
dIence that it is the purpose of the
delegation as now constituted and of
the commission that will have the
construction Of the roads to deal fair
ly with all sections, and he believed
that their successors in the future
will always show the same spirit.
The writer warned the people. that
an experience of nearly two score
years of working for better roads and
for. roads into inaccessible parts OF
the county has demonstrated that men
who live on the best roads and are
best located as to road facilities have
always been the fierciest opponents
of every improvement that does not
go by their doorsteps. They say,
eve cannot afford it." it viii cost too
much" you do not need any road;" it
will benefit some mar too much
some of your neighbors do not want
it," better keep up the roads now
open than open more to be half kept
up" ETC. etc. And to get any improve
ment, any opening up Of back districts
we have to camp on the job, watch !
every county or city development, and
at the psychological moment bring all
onl. batteries to bear on the board. 1t
was so in the building of the cause
way over Black River twenty years
ago. It was so in getting the Shiloh
Trinity road, and it took IA years 10
get this road. Right now the Bethel
Swamp road should be open
ed UP and the Turbeville short cut
added to the system of county roads.
There may be. others, but these two
stand out prominently, and are need
ed to develop backward sections, ana
to open more direct lines of communI-
cation between the business center OIL
the county aad outlying prosperous
communities. What do the county
80 ,,,,,y, ;ce-; o,,a,.- coU9
eve canont afford the cost-the
legislative delegation told us we must
not spend a dollar without tier CON
sent: I've can't open the road without
making a first class job of it, the trav-
ell on It will be so great the people will
not stand for any but first class
road;' 1--WE just can't do it now-=lt
takes all our force to Keep up the
roada we now have"
Judging by some oe the work that
is being done. it We're better left I'M
done for the good it does the roads.
and the labor put on new work ttlas
would, at least, put these other COM
munities On an equal footing with the
rest of the county.
u Was Iolu 1dst LiS e-ieS -e. ts sito
man Of the board viii give the Sec
.retary of the Chamber OF Commerce
,s100 if he Will guarantee that VIII
not so before the board again this
year. Well. he, will Keep his money
] have told AL this to illustrate the
feeling OF the Shiloh voter who last
night said, $50 many promises arc
made that are not kept" If the bond
issue is defeated it will be because OF
this feeling that the favored sections
will not help the less favored sections.
So warn a larger audience through
your columns that We must camp o''
the job to see that justice is dohc eN-
erv section of the county NM GO
NC TO VOTE FOR THE BONDS.