The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-12-13
GOOD ROADS BOND
ISSUE is FAVORABLE
BY Conference Called by Governor
Harvey
TO WORK OUT DETAILS
Committee Appointed to, Prepare
Plan to Be Submitted to
Legislature

to submit bond issue to the people OF
the State, and preliminary to that,
selected q committee to decide on the
system, the amount of the issue and
other details to be embraced in bill
it is prepare and report back to the
conference at later date.
The committee, one member. from
each congressional district, with "A.
B. Langley of Columbia, member
Of the State Highway Commission,
as ex officio chairman, is as fol-
lows: First District, w. w. Smoak
of Walterboro; Second, Capt. w. y.
Black of Williston; Third, p. P.
McCravy of Easley; Fourth, B. Il.
Peace Of Greenville; Fifth, Col. T.
B. spratt of Fort Mill; Sixth, Col.
D. A. Spivey of Conway, and Scl
enth, Claud N. Sapp of Colu' 'oi".
The conference was unanir, ,us in
the opinion that there should bn a
bond issue submitted TO the people,
but there was some doubt as to
the feasibility of naming the amount,
issues Of all the way from $4,000, 900
70 $100,000,000 being suggested dur
ing the meeting. However, the
amount was left to the committee, as
was the composition of the road. 1t
was the consensus that, preliminary
to any election on bonds, which,, to be
successful, must have n majority OF
two-thirds of the votes cast, 1t Will
be necessary for the people to know
just what roads the, State system
will embrace; and, further, it
seemed to be the opinion that the
expenditure of funds from the issue
must be divorced entirely from poll
tics, and to that end, it was sug-
gested that the bill provide a COM
mission of prominent and patriotic
business men of the State under
whose direction the proceeds be dis
bursed.
Representative Body Present
The conference was one of the
most representative of the many
such gatherings held at Columbia
in recent years, and bespoke the
intense interest the people are talk
ing in the matter of permanent, i'm
proved highways. There were an
proximately $50 Of the leading busi-
ness and professional men and wo-
men of the State present from
every county and practically all the
cities.
A. B. Langley of Columbia, a mem
Der of the State Highway Commission,
was elected chairman Of the confer
secretary of the State Budget Com
mission, was it's secretary. The COZ
ference did not adjourn sine die, but
merely took a recess for some future
date, to be reassembled at the call of
the chairman, when the committee
has canvassed the situation and pre-
pared it's bill. This other meeting
will be at some date prior to the
meeting of the next General AS
sembly, which convenes January
10th.
Governor Harvey, in assembling
the meeting, gave brief reason
for the call, stating that while
South Carolina is in serious fl
nancial condition, yet the condition
of it's permanent highways also is
matter of serious moment. He
thought a conference such as this
would do much in the way Of a
recommendation to the Legislature
Of some concrete plan of road
building and maintenance, and he
asked that there be no pride of
opinion, but that out of the wclter
of ideas a proposal of real merit
be evolved for legislative consid-
Grafton.
When the Executive suggested
that chairman be elected from
among the personnel of the gath
ering, Claud N. Sapp, of Columbia,
suggested the name of Mr.. Lang
ley, whereupon, Governor Harvey,
telling Of his strong personal lik-
ing for Che nominee and his high
character and ability, suggested
that the State Highway Depart
ment, as far as possible, be di-
vorced from the conference, so that
the idea would not get abroad that
the gathering was under the dom
nance of the department and for
the purpose of strengthening it.
However, Mr.. Langley was elected
by acclamation.
Upon taking the chair, the chair
man said that, when the matter
Of the craftsmanship was first
broached to him, he thought his
connection with the highway de-
partment might cause criticism, but
he was dissuaded from his view.
Mr.. Langley's Views
Mr.. Langley said that two great
things were to be considered, first,
in correct system-adequat mil
cage hnd adequate construction
and, after that, proper maintenance
comes up. The matter of a sufli-
cient fund for road maintenance
now confronts the conference and
the State, he said. Among the
things he suggested considering
were the setting aside Of suffl-
cient fund from the automobile IL
cense tax for maintenance, to be
apportioned according to needs and
the passage of a law requiring the
railroads to. pay 80 per centum Of