The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, November 19, 1925, Image 9
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THE CHRONICLE
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VOLUME XXV
SITUATIONJFULLY EXPLAINED
ke-Cha^lUuui
By J. F, JACOBS. SR., V j
Laurens County Highway Con. '
Judging from artklaf appearing
from' time to time in the Laurens
county papers, there is considerable
misapprehension in regard to the ques
tion of road building and mafttenance
in LaUrens county. This article is in-
teded to clarify the situation for the
Lqurens county public.
In Lai
lurens county we have* three
authorities dealing with road matters.
The State Highway Department has
a state systein in the county pf about
125 miles. The maintenance of all
roads on the state system is in the
hands of the maintenance department
of the State Hfehway Commission.
Neither the supervisor’s office, nor
the Laurens County Highway Com
mission have anything to do with the
State Highway Department system of
roads in Laurens County. These
roads are Piedmont highway, Kinards
to Fountain Inn; Princeton-Laurens
highway from Laurens to Princeton;
Spartanburg-Laurens-Greenwood high
way from Endree to the Thos. W.
Cothran Memorial bridge on the Salu
da; the Calhoun highway from near
Whitmire to the Thos. Cothran
Memorial bridge; the Laurens-Cross
Hill road with its extension to
Vaughnsville; the Jacobs highway
from Musgrove Mill on Enoree river
to Belfast.
The second authority is the super
visor's office. The supervisor con
trols the chain gangs and is charged
with the maintenance of roads and
bridges in Laurens county other than
state roads and bridges. $52,000 was
appropriated last year to the super
visor’s office for this purpose. The
sum, however, appears to be insuffi
cient for proper maintenance- and
many bridges are either out of com
mission, or are very dangerous. The
chain gangs are not efficient for
maintenance. They woutd be im
mensely efficient for first class road
construction if they were under the
county engineer. However, there is
no county engineer for the supervis
or’s office, and the supervisor’s work,
is not done under an engineer.' The
fund of $52,000 is now either ex
hausted or practically exhausted, and
the supervisor is asking the county
delegation to authorize additional
funds for the remainder of the year
Commission to borrow $30,000 to con
tinue road construction.
At the last meeting of the general
assemDly the delegation issued no
bonds, although a $60,000 bond issue
was supported by the' house delega
tion, but opposed in the senate, and
for that reason failed. The delegation
did, however* furnish to the Laurens
County Highway Commission the 2c
per gallon gasoline tax which comes
to Laurens county, estimated V to
amount to $41,00<k and authorised the
borrowing, against the tax of $36,00(1
There remains yet to be borrowed
it a possible source of immediate in
come 170,000 additional against the
$100,000 agreement for re-imburee-
ment by the State Highway Depart
ment That sum may be enlarged on
the engineer’s report showing more
than $100,000 of value to be re-ira-
b^rsed on the sections built since the
“pay-as-you-go” act wept into effect.
To sum up, the Lattrehs County
Highway Commission had originally
the proceeds of the $260,000 bond is
sue. Later secured about $54,000 of
that "spent, or pledged to be spent
for the State Highway Department,
returned by the Style Highway Com
mission to Laurens County Highway
Commission in cash or excused from
payment. Later received $41,000 gas
tax for this year, against which $36,-
000 has been realized by borrowing
against the tax; also received about
$1,400 of the old commission’s money
appropriated for new commission pur
poses by the last general assembly,
and has received $30,000 ordered by
the county delegation to be borrowed
against the new $100,000 re-imburse-
ment. The Laurens County Highway
Commission has therefore had about
$323,000 to operate upon, with which
it has built the Calhoun highway,
Woodruff Bridge-Gray Court road,
Cold Point-Mt. Olive road; completed
the Spartanburg-Laurens-Greenwood
road; built the Jacobs highway, and is
now about half way through with the
Wa^ta Mill-Yarborough road, and has
built about two miles on the Laurens-
Union- road as Tar as Brand, and
about a mile' and a quarter on the
Clinton-Lanford road as far as
Beard’s Fork, and has applied a small
fund for drainage material for the
Milton road.
It will be seen from the above that
CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1925
tens
ftwoTN
His request to the delegation contem-
v plated a fund of some $70,000, but in
stead $52,000 wys appropriated, in
cluding $9,000 for township mainten
ance.
Tottmhip
Rot/roads
i
The third authority in road con
ptruction in Laurens county is tht
Laurens County Highway Commission.
It is not charged with road mainten
ance, nor bridge maintenance, but is
only charged with construction of
roads, and whs originally erected to
spend the $250,000 bond issue, some-
timeS knawn as the Calhoun Highway
Bond Issue, as that was the principal
item involved. It proceeded to spend
the sum resulting from that bond is
sue, amounting to about $256,000, and
built with that sum the Calhoun high
way, the completion of the Spartan-
the Laurens County Highway Com
mission b*d no appropriation from
the delegation, other than the origi
nal'appropriation of $250,000 and re
imbursement secured from the state
. thereon, the $1,400 of the old com
mission’s balance and $36,000 borrow
ed against the gfcs tax, and the $30,-
000 recently borrewed against re-im-
bursement.
The cost of construction has been
very low, and the quality very high
owing to the remarkable efficiency of
the commission’s engineer, Mr. P. F.
Patton, and owing to the policy of the
commission to require rights of way
and top soil privileges before build-
iig. ’ 0 •
. The question has been raised by
c ne member of the county delegation
fy\\
(jounkj Boundary Un*s ;;
‘ia boundary Linet
Rivers and Creeps
’Towns O
bridges d fords
Highways
CompLotod
Hoads to be built under County
wide improvement plan
blP'roved County fjitfutap
built or huilcti nf
Old country roads
'Jjyures renresont.frumbof* sf-
nules berovy
i rni/i
J No*.
rmreen road intersections
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♦
A
burg-I^urens-Greenwood highway, the j in regard to the policy of the com-
■Gray Court-Woodruff bridge road, and 1 mission adopting the Gray Court-
the Cold Point-Mt. Olive road. Princeton road. Cross Hill-Belfast
If
%
Ip doing this construction it enter
ed inte agreement with the State
• Highway Department covering the
building from Mountville to Saluda
river, and also jointly with Green
wood county for the-building of the
Thos*. W. Cothran Memorial bridge at
the Saluda river. Before the comple
tion o4 those projects, owing to very
vigorous efforts of the Laurens Coun
ty Highway Commission, the State
Highway Commission was induced to
excuse the Laurens County Highway
Commission fronypaying $54,00^. on
* those projects, or their payment to be
returned to Laurens county, except
partial engineering costs, on project
from Mountville to Saluda river,
amounting to about $11,000. The
money thus returned to the Laurens
County Highway Commission was
cred for construction of the Musgjove
Mill-Belfast road, known as the Ja
cobs highway. This road was origi
nally planned by the old highway
commission and was surveyed to Clin
ton hut never built until the present
’ Laurens County Highway Commission
took up the matter and built it. The
Laurens County Highway Commission
conceived the idea and carried it into
execution through its committee on re
imbursement, assisted by members of
the county delegation of securing the
re-imbursement agreement^ from the
State Highway Commission on all of
vttae Work done on .the Calhoun high
way and Laurens-Greenwood highway
v after the “pay-as-you-go” act went
into effect, and have finally i&cured
a resolution from .the State Highway
Department, agreeing to re-unburse
to a minimum/ degree of $100,000.
However, engineers are at work esti-
mating, and it may be that the sum
will run above $160,000. Against this
Tc-imbursement understanding the
Laurens county delegation recently au
thorized the Laurens County Highway
Princeton road, Cross
road, Clinton-I,anford road and Lau-
rens-Union road foFConstru~tion. The
writer when soliciting, together with
h committee from Laurens county, an
appropriation to continue the high-
vay construction of the county, asked
the members of the house ; delegation
whether they wished to designate the
leads to be built, and the committee
was tpld that the delegation did not
wish to designate. One member of the
delegation, however, had certain pref
erences. The writer endeavored to
carry those preferences through in a
resolution in the Highway Commis
sion, but the resolution failed. Later
another resolution was put through,
adopting the four roads above men
tioned, and work was started on two
of them, rights of way and top soil
privileges having been secured on a
third, and almost all of them secured
on the fourth, also taking up the
Watts Mill-Yarboroughs Mill road.
Two members of the delegation at
present stand for designating the
roads to be built. The Laurena Coun
ty Highway Commission has taken no
position on the matter. The job of
designating is a dangerous one as long
as funds are limited, and will make
anybody unpopular who has the re
sponsibility.
— It is the view of tjie Highway Com
mission that the delegation should net
stop a road once it is started nor
direct the gang work, but since the
Highway Commission can only oper
ate with funds authorized by the dele
gation, and canuot borrow without the
{Relegation’s authority against the re-
irobuAdments which it has won from
the State Highway Department, the
responsibility for the decision lies
wtyh the delegation. . Should the dele
gation decide to designate thS roads to
be built, then all the hearinga^given
fhc
of the county, will have no weight or
effect. Should the matter be left in
the hands of the Highway Commission
determine upon the roads which are
most important, and to build them as
it thinks they ought to be built, the
Highway Commission will use its best
intelligence and its most conscientious
and careful judgement, and will give
weight to the views of the county
delegation.
In a general way it may be stated
that the commissioners are favorable
to county-wide good roads develop
ment. All but one of the commis
sioners are favorable to a bond issue
of $500,000 and to early expansion of
the work. The writer has for a long
time stood for county-wide good roads,
and is eager to see every section of the
rounty developed writh good roads.
It has been stated that the present
commission has done most of its work
in the lower part of the county. That
statement is liable to be misunder-
ytood. The lower part of the county
had larger areas without roads, at the
time the $250,000 bond issue was
passed. That issue provided for two
roads in thefMpper part of the«county,
f.ne through the center, and a long one
through the lower part, wnd with re
imbursement money another road
through Scuffletown and Hunter
townships was built. For a long time
the lower part of the county was be
hind the upper part of the county in
good roads development. Just npw it
has a little edge on the u'pper part
of the county, and any additional pro
jects to be added, to the present pro
gram would ioettide a liberal treat
ment for the upper part'of the county
This the Highway Commission un
questionably will do if the matter is
rot taken out of their hands by the
delegation.
Tjie Highway Commission ^ has
granted many courteous and consider
ate hearings to delegations frpm all
over the county, and they know the
situation fully, and they contemplate
meeting it whenever the county dele
gation supplies Uie means with which
to do the construction. If the dele
gation designates the roads to be built
then upon the delegation will fall the
responsibility in case the more im
portant roads, the most needed roads,
are not given first consideration.
However, as the commission has ex
hausted the funds which were origi
nally entrusted to its care, by vote of
the people, it now depends fob further
funds upon action of the delegation.
Co-ordiaation of the delegation and
the Highway Commission views in a
progressive policy would be extreme
ly desirable, and ia highly probable.
very decided differences of opinion,
the delegation has usually fome to
meet the commission’s viewpoint, and
there has been on major matters
hearty co-operation. The Highway
Commission has, never refused to be
directed by the delegation, as the
funds must come through the delega
tion. However, it is questionable
whether it is wise for the delegation
the direction of where gangs shall
of Clinton. Addition of a road down
the ridge between Reedy river and
Walnut Creek by Poplar Springs
church. Addition of a road from Alma
up the ridge between the two Rabuns
to the Greenville line. With the addi
tion of these roads to the map, the
dotted lines on the map would show
every road which has been asked for
early date—in two or three years—a
county-wide good roads system.
Certain members of the Highway
Commission are favorable to a con-
-olidation cf the Highway Commission
and the supervisor’s authority, having
a unit authority on all roads other
than state roads. The supervisor,
however, has not given in his adher-
to assume executive authority, as in county. The dotted lines show pro-
by any group of citizens in Laurens ence to this viewpoint at the time of
ucsed improvement of old routes ex
work, or wise to bring to naught thelcept occasionally where cut-offs are
action of the Highway Commission , made to save distance, and afford de-
pus committees from different parts
• 1 -~ ti k W i W'lfl
by the Highway Commission to vari-, difficult to get joint meetings of the
I wish to say that while it.has been
two bddies, and while there have bee:
in adopting for construction certain
roads.
No doubt the commission and the
delegation will thresh these matters
out to some conclusion at an early
date. It is uncertain whether the
delegation will stand for designaUng
the roads or not* Two members T>f
the delegation are clearly for that
policy. Up to this time the other two
have ijot been heard from on the sub
ject. The writer seriously doubts
whether the delegation when fully as
sembled will take the attitude that
they should direct the Highway Com
mission and the details of their work
to the extent of designating the roads
to be built or overruling the >■ com
missions selection of roads .
The three members of the house
delegation seem to be in favor of the
$500,000 bond issue, but in favor of
putting it to referendum at the next
primary election. The senator’s atti
tude is not fully known, but it is
highfy probable that if he agrees to
the $500,0P0 bond issue it will be on
the condition of the referendum, leav
ing -it to the people finally to decide
the question. The people will almost
certainly disapprove of the bond issue
unless expression is given to the fair
distribution of roads.
The delegation has never taken up
the county as a whole to consider how
the roads should be distributed to
take care of all parts of the county.
The Highway Commission has never
adopted a county-wide good roads
plan because it has never had the
funds with which to put it into exe
cution. The Laurens County Good
Roads Association, however, has with
the cooperation of the Commercial
Club of Clinton, and a committee from
the Laurens Business League, assisted
still further by advice from all parts
of the county, developed a roads map,
which appears in this issue. This
road map, however, itself is not com
plete as certain other roads have been
applied for which are not included in
the map, and involves changes as fol
lows: Correction of road from Milton
to Goldville, making it more direct.
Change of Cold Point road to Pied
mont highway so as to bring it into
Mill instead of two miles w$st
nj Ly^ia
velopment of every section of Lau
rtns county without preference.
Such a map, if adopted by the High
way Commission and the county dele
gation, subject to slight changes to
meet community views, would be an
immensely popular proposition for the
county at large, and probably secure
80 per cent to 90 per cent of the vote
or a referendum. Nearly everybody
is for county-wide good roads, and
nearly every section is willing to vote
for roads in other sections, provided
they are to get the roads which they
want in their own sections. The Lau
rens County Good Roads Association
has suggested a $500,000 bond issue.
The Laurens County Highway Com
mission has approved of the $500,000
lKind issue, to which would of course
be added the re-imbursement money
coming from the South Carolina High
way Commission, which would probab-
Ij bring the sum pp to $600,000, ulti
mately after the survey is completed.
The Highway Commission lias pro
posed that instead of raising taxes
to retire the $500,000 of bonds and
pay interest on same, that the gas tax
be used for that purpose as far as
necessary. The gas tax, $41,000 a
year-at present, would not be wholly
ronsnmed in paying interest on the
bonds and retirement of the bonds, if
the bonds are made forty year bonds.
Forty year bonds bring a higher price
and would permit of a longer time in
retirement than thirty year bonds.
There is some opposition to long
term bonds, but forty year bonds
would yield more money for construct
ion, and afford a longer period for re
tirement of the bonds, and a smaller
total sum would have to be paid into
the sinking fund than would be neces
sary for the retirement of thirty year
bonds. Only about $260,000 would
ever have to be paid into the sinking
fund to retire $500,000 of bonds if
they are forty year bonds. The ac
cruals of interest at 5 per cent would
make up the balance. The Highway
Commission’s plan of using a portion
of the gaa tax to take care of the
bonds would result in no increase in
the tax levy, which would ha'A very
desirable consideration to the people
of the county, but wouM^gtvn^al yn
this writing. Newberry has such a
plan in operation, the supervisor being
chief executive of the Highway Com
mission. In that county, however, the
commission consists of nine township
members, while in the Laurens County
Highway Commission there are five
members besides the chairman. The
addition of more members would not
add to thenefficiency of the commis
sion. However, there is a large sec
tion of Laurens county that is not
represented in the commission—the
western section, and the addition of
an able man from that section would
certainly not. be objectionable, and
might be regarded as desirable. The
supervisor should be given a vote in
the commission.
It Is to be hoped that public senti
ment will concentrate on a pracitcal
plan, and q? there seems to be but one
plan that has any detail to it—that
of the Laurens County Good RoacTs
Association, endorsed for the most
part by the Laurens County Highway
Commission, that plan will at least
serve as a working basis for the coun
ty delegation, should the delegation
decide to designate routes, and tirput
through a $500,000 bond issue, subject
to referendum, or otherwise for carry
ing out a countrywide good roads
plan. Changes might be made, but
there are few cases where changes
could be made to advantage, as the
map shows a very thorough distribu
tion of roads, and the important old
routes are the roads given ^considers-
tion in all cases.
Notice
State of South Carolina,
County of Laurens.
Notice is hereby given that a meet
ing of the stockholders of Adair-
Sumerel, Inc., will be held on Friday,
December 5th, 1925, at ten o’clock A.
M. for the purpose of applying to the
Secretary of State for a Surrender
of Charter and wiading up the affairs
of said corporation and its dissolu
tion.
E. J. ADAIR, President.
Clinton, S. C.
November 5, 1925. / 12-4-5tc
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