The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-23
Alive to the Road Situation.
(News and Courier.

Alive to the Road Situation.
CNews and Courier).
There have been. plenty of good
roads movements in South Caro-
lima before now, but there. has not
been in former years any such
movement which was taken as Sc
riously as that set in motion at the
conference held in Columbia last
Monday at the call of Governor
Harvey.
Two county newspapers, the
Bennettsville Pee Dee Advocate
and d<the Bamberg Herald, are op-
posed TO a state bond issue to
build state roads. The press of
the state generally is highly fa-
vorable to the proposal, far more
| so than ever before.
Various questions are being
raised, of course, this of itself in
dicating that this time the plan to
have South Carolina set up a state
highway system is being taken in
earnest on all sides. The Sumter
Item, for example, says that the
people of Sumter would be oppos-
led to a state bond issue unless
/ provision were made to reimburse
them for the money they are
spending now to build paved roads
i in that county which are included
!. in the state highways.
Sumter is spending $1,000, 900 at
the present time for roads which
Twill be completed before any state
bond issue could be authorized.
Naturally the Item wants to know
how Sumter would fare under the
plan proposed. Says the Item:
Sumter county is just about as
| progressive and public-spirited as
any other county in the state, and
our people are willing to do as
much for the welfare and upbuild-
ing of the state as a whole, but we
speak advisedly when we say that
Sumter county viii never agree to
la state good roads bond issue, the
proceeds of which shall be used
to build paved highways in coun-
| ties that have refused to tax them
selves for this purpose, While this
county receives no part OF the
! proceeds of the bonds
/ answering the Item, the Green
iville News says that provisions
!. that will preserve the equities OF
the various counties in regard to
,, money they have already spent
will be worked into the state bond
issue bill. This matter" says the
News. ..can be adjusted satisfac-
torily to all the counties concern
ed and provision made so that all
counties that have spent money
for state highways shall be given
credit for their proportionate ex-
penditures in the further improve
ment Of roads,
The Dillon Herald deals as fol-
lows with the objections that have
been raised to a roads bond issue
by the state:
There is opposition to big bond
issues for read Improvement. The
Pee Dee Advocate says if we con-
Ftinue to issue bonds for these inn
provements day of reckoning is
coming. The Advocate, and oth-
ers of the same opinion. may be
right. but We cannot afford to sit
Gown while the world moves ahead,
and if we refuse to issue bonds
for highway Improvement where
is the money coming from? Ten
or fifteen years hence paved high
ways will be the nations main
arteries of commerce. Not many
years ago towns paid huge sums
for railroads to come their way.
Many progressive towns and cities
of today would not be on the map
if it had not been for railroads.
Dillon might still have been a
broom sage field or a fish pond.
The question os good roads is a vi
tai one. The community that makes
up its mind not to spend money
for road Improvement must also
make up its mind TO lag behind in
the march of progress. The ques-
ton is, would a community lose
more from bad roads than it would
gain from good roads? And men
of vision are compelled to answer
that question in the affirmative.
Following this line of reasoning
the great problem is, what is the
best method of raising this money
and the most economical way OF
spending it? If the bono. issue is
not the best plan Will some one
suggest better plan?"
l, is simply q question of wheth-
er or not South Carolina is to
have paved highways. AS the Spar
tanburg Herald puts the case,
South Carolina breads the idea
of bonds, and there is usually a
deep silence when the issuing OF
bonds by the state is proposed, but
that highways are essential and
that the states credit is necessary
if they are to be built is dawnins
upon the people of the state as
the facts involved in this discus
sion become more fully apprec1at-
ed
See things as you travel along
because life is one-way street.