The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-21
GOOD ROADS
PLAN FOR
THIS STATE
Expenditure Of 1884,
000 900 in Six Years
Will be Proposed to
egislature

Columbia, Dec. 17.-Erom the
present ratio of federal aid, an in
crease in automobile license fees,
continuance of the twe-naill prop
erey tax. levying or a one-cent tax
per gallon or. motor vehicle fuel
and the issuance of ten millions Of
dollars in state bonds, South Caro-
Ina can spend in the next six
years s34 .0o0. .00e and complete a
highway system of 1000 miles, of
which SEQ miles can be hard-sur-
faced, according TO the proposed
improvement plan to. be presented
TO the general assembly by the
state highway commission. The
full plan:
Without increasing the present
j property tax one cent the state Of
South Carolina may spend approx
imateIy S3s4o00,o00 and complete
within Sax years a system OF i'm
\ proved state highways comprising
about SEQ miles, more than 500
miles of which would be hard-sur-
faced and the rest surfaced with
sand -clay, top soil or gravel; and
under this plan each county will
Z not only retain its own money, but
get back more than it puts in for
the construction and maintenance
Of its state highways and bridges.
The money can be raised as fol-
iosss:
Federal aid from the nation
al government at present rate Of
about 100 .0o per year for six
years, s6,6Ge COO.
The automobile license re-
ceipts. n the license fee is IL
creased to correspond with the
average In the United States. which,
Tor example. would change the fee
for a Ford car from IS per year to
$8 per year. and for a Cadillac from
Is per yeaa to sz3 per year. this
source would yield on an average
approximately $4,000 per year,
or a total for six years 70 $780,
GOO
two-naill property tax
now efTecsiye would yield an aver
age of slightly more than 100000
per year, or about Sc, 100000 for the
SIX years
ss.44s "A tax 3of j cent per gallon
on naetcr vehicle fues could lie i'm
posed without appreciable burden
aad would yield an average OF be-
tween S50e, goo and sG00,o per
year, or say s3,4o0,e eco for the six
year period.
A State bond issue OF only
81 100000 would bring the total
fund up to s34, ,000, 600, and this is
sre could he SO arranged that a
part of the revenues above sug-
gested would take care of it during
and after the six-year period.
This $4,000, 900 fund would be
sufficient TO carry out the follow
ing described program Of road i'm
proyenent:
81. Construct 2.0e0 miles of soft
surfaced reads, including minor
bridges and culverts, at $1,000 per
nile, s1e,oee. 600.
..2. Construct 400 miles Of hard
surfaced roads, including grading
and the minor bridges and culverts,
at $4,000 per mile, 100000 no.,
:s33 ss3 Construct all Of the impor-
Iant bridges on the state highway
system rot already provided for at
a cost OF about s5.5Go,0oe.
Provide annually sufficient
amount. to maintain all state roads
previously constructed varying from
Soc. 600 per year et present to
about $500 ,0G0 per year when the
state system is complete. or about
s5.590,o00 for the six years.
IS. Maintain the state highway
department at cost Of about $780,
oe0 per year, os s1s2o0,050 for the
six years.
.6. Provide interest and sinking
fund OF s1.S90,a00 for bonds. In
terest and sinking fund, after the
six-yea- period could be provided
from the same revenues, with a
substantial balance for matching
subsequent federal aid and continu-
ing the construction Of hard
surfaced roads.
ssThe state highway system, as at
present planned. contains about
$500 miles OF road of which more
than j Geo niles viii be completed
or provided for ky the end Of 1921,
including 1s:ore than 200 miles OF
hard sarzace. The 2,409 miles pro-
yided in the above program would
therefore complete the system and
enable the addition OF some 500 or
500 miles to the present layout. The
400 miles additional Of hard sur
facing would also take care Of prac-
ticalIy all parts OF the state roads
where the traffic IS too heavy for
the soft surface and where the
counties have not already made ar
rangenents for hard surfacing.
.The expenditure or the $40
100000 proposed for road con-
ssruction can be eouitably distribut-
ed among the counties according to
any reasonable schedule and s.t the
same time complete the highway
system Us above stated If the
distribution were based, for exam
ple. one-third on land area. one
third on assessed valuation, and
o.e-third on motor vehicle license
receipts for 1921. no county would
receive 1ess than about $3.50, 0,007
: and in each case the county's pro
norton would be sufficient to com
,,1afe. the stare roads within its