The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-28
Good Roads Meeting
in Columbia
Plans Formulated to Increase
Funds For Road Building in
South Carolina

South Carolina was the theme ol
the three principal addresses at
the banquet Of the South Carolina
Good Roads association last night.
This is also the underlying purpose
behind the association and the
South Carolina road institute. the
members of which with the mem
bers Of the general assembly were
the guests at the banquet at the
Jefferson Hotel. Three plans tor
the realization of this aim and
that, too, without net cost to the
people of the state were proposed:
One a s50,o00,000 bond. issue for
road building, a4o;' her the state
highway commission ) six year
s34,000,00O road building and
road maintenance progrom, the
third combination Of the first
two. The highway commission
plan carries with it the issuance
of s10,O00,000 in bonds and the
proposed combination plan would
carry with it the increase of this
bond issue to s50,00o,o0o and the
consequent extension Of the Pc
riod of retirement.
The s50,000,000 bond issue plan
was suggested by L. D. Jennings of
Sumter. president of the good
roads association, who presided as
POSTMASTER. Mr.. Jennings is also
the 1ather of the compromise plan,
calling for the enlargement and eX-
tension of the state highway co1n-
missions proposed program. Eth
er plan, Mr.. Jennings said, could
be successfully carried through
with no cost to the state other than
the use of the states credit and
both would result in the end in
the saving 70 the people Of the
state of millions of dollars which
the possession of a good system OF
highways would of necessity mean.
Permeating Mr.. Jennings ad-
dress and setting it apart from SO
per cent. of all speeches, talks and
addresses made and heard in
South Carolina at present, was an
orerpowering, resistless optimism.
Don't pay too much attention"
he told the legislators, ito the hue
and cry for reduction Of taxes and
reduce taxes only when by so doing
you do not retard the growth Of
the state. A county, state or "a
nation can not stand still and
when we begin to cut we so back
ward. Let us cling to the things
that are worth while"
Governor Cooper was the second
speaker on the program, pointing
out to the members of the general
assembly the duty facing them to
make some provisions to meet the
problem of unemployment that will
face the state in the next two years,
he thought. Many small farmers
throughout the state, Governor
Cooper said, will find themselves
in need of additional work; fac
tories and stores and farms
throughout the state will be un-
able to employ the numbers Of
men they now use and will need
when the state once more enjoys
the substantial prosperity which,
he thought, is certain to be South
Cardinals in days to come. The
building Of roads under some plan
as suggested, Governor Cooper
said, would provide employment
for the unemployed and would
keep them from leaving the state
and prevent them from begging,
the only, possible alternative that
he saw facing the men to be thrown
out of work. This" Governor
Cooper said: 'I consider the eco
nomic thing to do. We must insure
fors the people these privileges and
opportunities. that Will make
them enjoy diving here and en-
,oying it produce more and buy
more"
r. Goodwin Rhett of Charles
ton. chairman of the state high
way commission. set forth in some
/ detail the difficulties facing the
state highway commission and its
proposed six year s34,0o0,o00 pro-
gram for meeting these difficulties
and solving them. Under this
program, as explained by Mr..
Rhett, the motor vehicle license
tax would be raised slightly to
bring in $4,000 in the six years,
tax of one cent a gallon on gas
oline imposed to produce $3.40O,-
900 in the six years. the two mill
road tax levy would be continued
to furnish s6,200,00O il, the six
years. and a .s18,000,000 bond is
sue foated to bring the total. in
cluding the s6,600,000 in federal
aid funds available under the pro-
gram. up TO $34.000,000. This
Mr.. Rhett said, would enable the
| commission to construct 1000 miles
of improved highways. 500 miles OF
permanent roads, build all neces-
sary bridges in the state, maintain
the roads already built and to be
constructed, pay the interest and
provide for the eventual retire
ment of the bonds issued and turn
back sufficient funds to the coun-
ties to enable them to. continue
their county load programs-and
all this, Mr. Rhett said. can be
done without net cost to the peo-
/! pie or automobile users Of the
! state.
! Other speakers heard for brief
/ talks were: r. N. Cooper, Jr. Of
! Wisacky, Dr. W. A Tripp Of An
derson. a. A Edmunds of Edge
! fiald and 4, q Mc1 cod of pichnn