Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-06-16
Good Roads Law Enacted at
Last Session of General As
sembly For Edgeheid
County.

from conversations WlCn IneHlperS
of the general assembly and from the
trend of legislation in the house, l
learned early in the present session
that if we are going to have any con-
siderable road building in South Car
\ olnia it will have to be done by each
county devising its own ways and
means. There is now under discussion
in the house bill looking to the con-
struction of certain main trunk lines
of public roads leading from county
seat to county-seat over the State,
but this will not meet the needs of a
vast majority Of the counties-cer-
tainly not Edgefeld.
Our greatest need in Edgefeld is
the improvement of the public roads
leading from the several markets of
the county back into the rural dis
tricts over which farmers haul their
fertilizers in the spring and over
which they haul their farm produce
to market. It is well to have certain
trunk lines or main thoroughfares
improved, but we should not stop
there, as is contemplated by the coun
ty-seat to county-seat project.
Having reached the deliberate
conclusion that if Edgefeld county
and the great masses of our people
are ever to get out of the mud, we
must not look beyond the borders of
the county for relief, but must work
out our own salvation, I at once set
about to devise workable plan for
such an undertaking. drew the sub
Joined bill and, after submitting it to
Senator Sheppard and Mr.. Walker
for their approval introduced it in
the House in the name of the Edge
field delegation. Before it passed the
second reading, the time when bills
are usually amended, I submitted a
printed copy to Attorney General
Wolfe for him to point out the flaws
and defects, if any existed. He return
ed the bill to me with his unquali-
fled approval.
The Highway Commission, which
the act creates for the purpose of
selling bonds and expending the mon
ey in road construction and improve
ment, will be composed of one person
from each township, thus guarantee
ing to every section of the county
the just and impartial consideration
to which it is entitled.
Some may ask why limit the bond
issue to 100000? Under the provi-
sions of the Constitution, the maxi
mum amount of bonds which the
county can issue g per cent. of the
taxable property of the county, is
about $360,000, and experience has
proven that it is unwise to issue the
limit at first. Two years ago McCor-
mick issued good roads bonds to the
amount of S175,O0O and they are
now planning by an act of legislature
to make second issue of 100000.
A member of the Mccormick delega-
ton told me to-day that experience
has proven the wisdom of the two is
sues instead of one for the maximum
amount.
/ fixed the time for holding the
election on the same day as the pri-
mary election so as to insure full
expression from our people. An elec-
tion held in the busy spring season
would probably result in compara-
lively small ballot. Then, too, were
the bonds voted earlier, the summer
would not be a desirable time to
place them on the market.
The preliminary work of the COM
mission as provided in the act, will
all be done before the election, max
ing it possible, if the bonds are vo-
ted, for work on our roads to begin
Immediately after the primary cleo
.tion. After the commission shall have
completed this preliminary work the
people can vote intelligently upon
the question of issuing bonds, as they
will know what roads the money will
be expended upon.
The following is the text of the |
bill:
To provide for a Highway Commis-
sion for Edgefeld County, Defn-
ing it's Duties, and to Provide for
the Holding of an Election for the
Issuing of Five Per Cent. Coupon
Bonds for Public Road Construc-
ton in Edgefeld County land to
proy;da Sinking Fund for Their |