The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-01
GOOD ROADS NOTES
Additional Facts and Figures
Contributed by a Student
of Good Road Situa-
ton in Sumter
County

In Cleveland county, Ohio, in Sep
! tember, 1919, two five-ton White
/ trucks were loaded to their normal
;capacity and both run over 100 miles
Iof hard surface concrete roads and
then over 100 miles Of earth road in
fair condition and the gasoline con-
supnltion for the different runs accu-
!:rately. kept. The average for the two
trucks showed the consumption OF
gasoline. on the hard surface roads
came within a fraction of one per
scent of being Just half what it was on
the earth road, in fair condition.
Those earth roads. in fair condition,
were probably as good or better han
our best roads. This per. centage
might not hold for cars running
light. so to be on the safe side we
will take 40 per cent as the basis.
/ It is generally conceded that Ger
depreciation and up-keep is cut at
least 60 per cent by hard surface
roads, such as we have.
We cannot expect to get much re-
suits that wANbenefit every body gem
orally by constructing ten miles or
fifteen miles OF hard surface roads.
We need something like one hundred
and twenty-five miles OF them cover
ing the system OF main county roads
and branching out from Sumter in ten
different directions. This will put a
hard surface road within three miles
of almonst any mans house in the
county and will absorb rs per cent
OF the traffic of the county
i On these premises let's see how
we would break with a bond issue,
just figured ma basis of saving with
out reference to- any of the positive
benefits of good roads.
Seyenty-fve per cent of forty per.
cent saving on. gasoline, figured on a
basis of three gallons per car per days
265 days, for 1000 cars. gasoline fig
ured at 35 cents, amounts to s229,95o
per year.
Seventy-fve per cent of sixty per
cent of car depreciation and cost OF
up-keep. figured on a basis of an ini-
t;al cost of $500 per car average,
2.0e0 cars, life. of cars five years as
per insurance companies practice,
amounts to 5000 per year.
This gives total Of s499,950 di-
rect saving per year. to the car own
ers and will take care of the interest
and sinking fund of bond issue OF
over S5.0OO.000. The saving would
be greater as the number OF cars in
crease.
All, bond issues call for taxation in
some form to meet them. They must
be paid off sooner or later.
I1ls this case. taxation could take the
form of asgeneral levy on real es-
tate, or a levy on abutting and ad-
jacent4 property or a direct vehicle
tax or combination of some OF al!
of these.
The county auditors books show the
following
Total assessed valuation of coanty,
$1o.63s.0oO.
Assessed valuation of Sumter town
ship, s5,730.o00.
Assessed valuation of railroads (42
per cent basis,, s1,4SS.o00.
Assessed valuation of banks 42
per cent basis).. eS505.000.
Assessed valuation of merchandise.
(42 per cent basis) s1,204 900.
Assessed valuation of nanufactur-
ers, (42 per cent basisl, sS20.o00.
6 Farm lands assessed at an average
tof. .$S.01 per acre. 10 to Is per cent Of
market value,
Personal property on a, higher per
centage basis of valuation.
City real estate valuation basis
about Is to 20 per cent. Banks, rail-
~ per cent basis.
The. city of Sumter has spent $780,
.Qoo, in. paving. twelve or thirteen miles
OF streets which are public highways
and which the Whole county gets the
benefit of Banks, merchandise and
manufactures are largely concentrat-
ed in its limits. Also the largest
slice of railroad property. City real
estate is valued on higher basis
than country property. It's actual to-
tai assessed valuation is over half
that of the total of the county Tor tan
alton purposes, whereas on actual
valuation basis it would be consider
ably less than one-half. 1t seems
that a general levy on property would
bear unequ;tably on the city.
There is now one car owned by
about every fourth family. There are
men and women who own property
who do not own cars. There are
some who own cars who do not own
property Shall this class. 2lthoush
relatively small enjoy the privilege Of
good roads without contributing to
them?
Abutting and adjacent property
might eauitably be made to carry
certain portion Of the load. Such
porperty would naturally be enhan-
ced in value But there are many
property owners in the country who
do care especially for enhancement
in their property holdings. They have
the land for use and not for sale