The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-11-18
DISCUSSING ROADS

| concerned ABOUT CQe working OF Lne
roads in its county. 1t has offered
some valuable suggestions for the
consideration Of it's readers. One OF
the complaints against the good
roads movement has been that other
roads than the improved highways
are neglected. Evidently the Index
Journal finds some ground for the
complaint, and it offers a remedy.
The remedy, in brief, is in line
with some suggestions which have
been made from time to time by this
paper. The Index-Journal proposes
that the roads be divided into three
classes, namely: The State Highways,
Including those which are kept in re-
pair by the state; county highways,
which would include the roads used
by the general public; and neighbor-
hood roads, which would include all
the roads of the county now sup
posed to be maintained by the pub
lie, but which merely serve the pur.
pose of community and which cam
not be regarded as public roads in
the sense that they are used by the
public generally.
The Index-Journal calls attention
to the fact that in Greenwood .Coun-
ty there are more than two thousand
miles of so-called public roads, and
to the impossibility of the county au-
thorities working these roads. What
is true with regard to Greenwood
County is true with regard to most
of the other counties. Every time a
petition has come up to the Super
visor's Office for the opening of a
new road signed by a sufficient num-
Der of voters new road has been
opened. Often these roads open up
a good section of the county, but
generally they serve the private pur-
poses of only few people, and are
roads which the public should not
assume to maintain. Public roads
should be defined and "a limit put on
the authority of the county officers
TO add to them,-that is to the roads
which the public is to maintain.
1t was formerly held that those
roads were public roads which (a)
led from one town to another; (b)
which led from a town to a public
read; and (c)' which connected pub
lie roads. Some such definition would
now haveithe effect of cutting down
The mileage of the roads maintained
oy the counties.
And-.it is evident that this mileage
should be cat down. If the appro-
oriation for maintaining roads in
Abbeville or Greenwood county is
sixty thousand dollars per year and
here are two thousand miles of pub
ic roads, it is apparent that none of
he roads will be properly worked;
,r that a few hundred miles will be
worked and the other roads neglect
ID. The proposed classification of the
'oads, as made by the Index-Journal,
VII meet the situation, we think.
Most everybody wants good roads,
'ut there is much difference of opin-
on about getting them. It is certain
hat if there are to be good roads a
.reat deal of money must be spent
nd great deal of work must be !
one. We are not able by taxation
lone to maintain two thousand miles
f roads. The number of roads to be !
by a county should be Il
xed at not more than four or five
undred miles, according to size and |
epulation. Most of the road mileage ,
taken up with cross-country roads E
'hieh serve different neighborhoods. :
'hese roads should be worked by the
eople of the neighborhoods. Those q
eople who desire to work should be 7
lowed to do so; and those who do g
OF desire to do the actual work r
aould be assessed the equivalent of i
our or five days work a year. These c
Dads might be worked under over t
eers, as was done years ago. The
esults would be satisfactory. The r
Dads not being travelled much would c
OF be cut into ruts nor get in bad Il
epair like the roads which are more G
anoro1l,, t.,,,a1aJ Jf ..,. l