The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-04-10
CHAMBER OF COM
MERGE MEETING

county CnamDer= OF commerce, Which
was held in the auditorium of the
Girls High School last night, was pri-
marily a good roads rally, and rep
! rese:ltative citizens of all sections Of
| the, county were on hand to show that
| they were in, sympathy with the plan
to build as quickly as possible not less
than 125 miles of permanent hard
surfaced roads. connecting the county
seat with practically every section of
the county.
| In proportion to numbers the at
tendance of members from the coun-
! try districts was greater than from
the city, the absence of many business
and professional men who are. re-
Sarded as leaders in the commercial
and professional life Of the commuui-
| ty being rather conspicuous. All of
the absentees may have had good eX-
cuses, but in a movement of the i'm
portance Of the good roads bond cam
paisn the support and cooperation Of
every progressive citizen is needed
The Sumter spirit. upon which so
much reliance is placed. and of which
| boasting in the past cannot be kept
alive and working without the elbow
touch OF all the worthwhile men. Of
tho community Notwithstanding the
absence Of so many who should have
| been present. the meeting was one OF
the most representative of the entire
county and most successful that the
Chamber Of Commerce has ever held.
The sentiment of the meeting was en-
Enthusiastically and unanimously in ia
vor of the good roads program and
the s2,500,000 bond issue to provide
the funds to pay for the roads that
are so badly needed.
The meeting was called to order at
7:30 by Mr.. j. Frank Williams. who
was called to preside in the absence
Of the president, E. S. Booth. who
was out of the city on business. The
session was opened With prayer by DIR.
J. a. Rice and Secretary Reardon
then presented Mr.. J. Frank Williams
as the first speaker on the program.
Mr.. Williams discussed the coop
GRAFTON necessary between the business
men of the city and the farmers of
the rural districts through the Cham
Der of Commerce to insure the growth.
development and continued prosper
ity Of the whole county under bol!
weevil conditions
DR.. S. II. EdmundS the next speak
er discussed school conditions anA
the Importance Of we'll considered
and efficiently administered educa-
tional program in the development
Of. an intelligent and prosperous ci1i-
zehship.
Mr.. L. D. Jennings was called on to
speak on the leading topic on the
programme good reads campaign
and the proposed permanent hiShwa:'
bond issue. Mr. Jennings touched
briefly upon tha present condition Of
the highways and the necessity Of i'm
frovoment. He then outlined the pro-
gram tentatively agreed on to build
as quickly as possible a system of APP
proXinlately 121 miles of hard-sur
faced roads which would give every
section of the county a good road =
the county seat He then took up III;
question of taxation that the iSS,:, Of
50. 800. 900 road bonds wcTld imEoSs
upon property owners. He conn:,st-
ed the burden that bad roads are 10
all classes of business: the burden Of
taxation that would be assumed by:
building good roads and demonstrate
ed that the tax burden would De light
in comparison with what we pay in
directly TO the account of bad roads.
At the conclusion Of his speech he
called for rising vote for and against
the bond issue and the vote for the
bonds was unanimous.
The following resolution. offered by
Mr. H. a. Moses. was adopted:
Whereas: the arguments in fa,or. Of
permanent surface roads are many
and the arguments against them is
only one. that Of economy. and
Whereas; the wrong kind Of econ
omy is often the worst kind Of eX-
travagance. and
Whereas: good roads promote So
ciability. and we are sociablc people:
and good roads promote religions at
tendance and school attendance. and
religion and education are necessary
factors of advancement: and
Whereas: good roads facilitate al
kind Of business and it is through bus
mess that we earn om. necessities and
comforts. and lastly
Whereas: everywhere good roads
are the badge of progress and Sumter.
county is unwilling to take second
pi.,ce to any community il progress
now therefore. he it
Resolved. That. we the members of
the Sumter County Chamber OF Com
merce. being citizens of Sumter Co;m-
u together. here assembled. d" heart
ily endorse the effort to hnjl| over
our county a system of permAn":t
roads and. further be it
Resolved That We recognize tila:
the most feasible plan OF financing
such n work is by hondin" the count:.H
for the necessary fund. so further i.v II
Resolved That we hereby zoe our
approval to tn. plan of n bond issue.