The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-03-30
Mr.. Wright IN Reply
" OOdrun, S. c.,
March &c, 1921.

| ii. He has written the following:
Editor The Advertiser:
Permit me to thank you for the op-
portunity TO reply to the letter of Mir.
| j. p. Gray of Woodruff published in
this issue regarding highway work in
our county. Unless Mr.. Gray is a
| property owner in Laurens County,
and | assume he is not from his lei
| ter. then 1t seems to me that he had
| better be finding out the cost of roads
iii his own tSpartanburg) county He
| refers to the cost OF roads in Green
lvilin County, and compares the cost
0' work iTnc in 1914 with the cost
| OF work done during the past two
years when labor and material were
at their highest point. Mr.. Norwood
Is personal friend of mine and he
| tells me that at the time his COM
mission were engaged III road build
ing, their labor was costing one dollar
per day, and teams $3.50 per day. He
| further tells ne that Il very large
2molnt of work was contributed, fern
crS sending in their teams at no eX-
pcn3c to grade and in great many
instances the landowners not only do
mated the top soil but hauled it on
the road. Furthermore Grccnvillo
county had sufficient funds at the
| start 70 build considerable mileage
and their cheap roads have been ay-
craScd i'll with those that cost most,
whereas in LaurenS county, the high
way commission has built only the
roads carrying the greatest traffic and
have not had sufficient funds to build
cheaper roads, which would material
~ lower the cost per mile. In addi-
ton to this in lIaurens county great
deal OF grading has had to be done
on account of poorly graded roads and
bad location. For instance the road
from I.aurens to Clinton traverses a
section where there was no road at
all. and the same applies to the road
between LaurenS and Madden station
as we'll In so far as the Laurens
County Highway Commissions work is
concerned, we can state that our cost
Of work has compared favorably with
road work done in Chester, Green
wood, Anderson, Cherokee. and other
counties who have built roads during
the past two years.
do not care to notice the many
insinuating remarks directed against
our commission by one who does not
even live in our county. Woodruff evil
IDENTIFY thinks if the road Is built from
Clinton 10 Musgrove bridge on EnOrec
river, Clinton will get considerable
trade now going 10 woodruff, and Mr..
Gray is using subterfuge in order to
DcclCud the main issue.
MI. Gray states that the funds for
improved highway work and ordinary
county funds should not be handled
by the same set Of men. lie Is right in
this. as the highway commission has
nothing whatever to do with the or
binary county road work. which Is in
the hands of the Supervisor and Coun-
ty Board of commissioners. 1t is true
that the Supervisor Is an eX-oiiici
member of the highway commission,
the other members having been ap-
pointed by the legislative delegation.
he would infer that We are In poll
ties, and want to hold onto our job. |
AS n matter Of fact none of the mem
bers OF the commission are in poli-
tics, We are paid the sum Of three
dollars per diem when attending meet
ings. For my own part have prob
ably spent for the benefit Of the coun-
ty my own funds in the ratio of three
dollars to every one received. am
not serving the county for the money
there is in II, which figures less than
$75 per year.
Mr.. Gray further states that the
highway commission spent $4,000
for mile Of road Between Enorec and
LanfOrd Station. This as absolutely
untrue. AS n matter OF fact the whole
road was surveyed and mapped. and
one and one-quartcr miles built at Il
cost OF $4,000 per mile This was
very heavy work coming up from the
river. AS to why this road was not
built into Laurens. the commission
found out that If they built this road
there would not be sufficient funds to
build the Piedmont highway from
l.aurcns toward Grccnvillc. and the
county would thereby sacrifice con
siderable amoun: Of Federal aid. A
few hundred dollars spent on this
short stretch Of road will put 1t in
first class condition.
There is considerable criticism In
Mr. Gray's letter regarding road work
done by the Supervisor throughout the
county. My own opinion Is that the
reason the cross country roads in the
past have not received better work has
been due to the fact that It was ncccs-
sary to keep the chain gang constantly
at work on the main highways, and
they had not time to do good work on
the cross country roads. The Situa-
ton for the past few months has been
different: tho main highways, are be
ing completed by the highway commits
sion, these highways are now being
, maintained Gy the State and the
/ Supervisor can now employ bis chain
gang on cross country roads. From
my own observation, the cross coun-
| try roads are now getting the benefit |
Of moro and improved work