The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-01-21
STATE LAGS
IN ROAD WORK
Legislature is Failing It's Duty
and Neglecting an OPP
portunity

able to me that South Carolina
through its general assembly now in
session will not join her sister States
in the formulation Of wise policy o.
progressive road-bui.d-ng, said Geo.
r. Wheeler, manager South Carolina
Landowners Association
Mr.. Wheeler has just returned from
Florida and while there he made
survey Of the peninsular States su-
perb system Of hard-surfaced high
ways. He gave his opinion that the
good roads of Florida had IS much to
do with attracting tourists to the State
as its climate" and are chiefly respon-
sible for the large numbers OF SUD-
stantial and ofttimes, wealthy people
who have settled there.
Mir Wheeler said that he believes
that should South Carolina emulate
Florida's example and construct q
State system Of hard-surfaced roads
connecting with contiguous States
there is no reason why the thousands
of tourists traversing these highways
would not be attracted to South Car
olila and settle here, some OF them
permanently. MI. Wheeler said that
the automo obiies Of so per cent Of the
tourists visiting Florida are shipped
there either py boat or rail because
of the inferior roads of this section.
'You can sec," he said, what an
economic loss this entails on the State
of South Carolina. II it had a system
Of hard-surfaced roads connecting
like highways from the East to the
South, it would cause tourists to trav-
e. by automobile through this section,
and thousands Of dollars would be
spent in this State by these tourists. y
Mr. Wheeler asks this question:
Can South Carolina, with all her
wealth in taxable property, banking
resources and government resources.
afford to be contented with her pres
ent road building program, While her
sister States are appropriating money
oy the millions Tor State highways?
For instance, Maine is going TO spend
s12 100000 for State highways; Ala
bama, $25,G00,000; Florida, $1,000
O0o;' New York, s50,o00.o0o; Illinois,
$sO,000,0 coo; Idaho. s15,0Oo,oo0; vir-
ginia, s4o,Oo0,o0o; Georgia, $4,000
900; Arkansas $4,000. 900. and Ten
nessee S50, 100000. North Carolina Isl
likewise considering legislation for i'm
proved highways
Clement s. Usker, Of Baltimore,
executive vice-president Of the South
ern settlement ana Development Or
ganization, with which the South Car
DINA Landowners Association is at-
filated, IN recent letter to various
development associations OF the
a great hard-surfaced highway from
The North to the South:
I'VE already have continuous
n:acadam highway from Baltimore 70
Washington. Now, si2ce the Southern
states undoubtedly would build gooa
.~oaas With feGeral a:d, fee. t:la.e our
combined influence ought to see to ii
that a road was built from Washing
ton to Richmond, Richmond to Ra:-
cigh, Raleigh to Columbia, and then
on down the most expeditions route
70 Miami, and at a later date, branch
es of this should be advocated. if pos
sible, from Norfolk to Wilmington.
Wilmington to Charleston. Charleston
to Savannah and on down. + would
.iean hridge-bui!di.7g, but bridges have
10 :.c built my how sooner OR later
md feel sure it would not be IA
set, h to get congressional cid,
wen in tie bridge building.
Then, what I have furthermore in
mind. is that each oe t;7esc states
should be INDUCED /, !::l:ll oI'nam@n-
:al toes ;lnng these i.o;;:is. an! ;:aat
here and there a typical ::"rth Ca:o-
ira South Carolina. Georgia or f'Ior
ida hotel should be erected, and the
cooking in these hotels should be IA
mous; that, at every onc-half days
trave! there should be a lunch staten.
distinctly Southern. which should also
become famous. and then gradually
the various States should extend that
effort north Of the Mason and Dixon
Zinc. for instance. through New Eng
ard Some of the Southern States
ought to maintain for advertising pur-
poses throughout the year. Florida.
or a Georg q, or a Carolina lunch sta
tion. where on Sundays a Southern
dinner could be had at standard
rate"
"a continuous highway from Eos
ton to Miami" continued Mr. Ucker,
''is not far cry. 1t is built already
from Boston to Washington. Virginia
is bound to build some good roads, so
is North Carolina. South Caroline. and
Georgia. and Florida has her good
roads already built Now if Virginia
and the Carolinas, Georgia and Flor
ida, could try this: Get their govern
ors. their representatives in con-
=.ess, their board Of trades chambers
Of Commerce and the newspapers to-
gether, why, the thing would be done"