The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-02
NUMBER 20.
what are the wild Waves Saying.
BkAwLlNG Brook. Feb. 6. 1882

DhAWLiNG DkOOk, req. D, 1867
Mr.. EDITOR: We thank you for the
privilege of giving life to this dead subject
of roads, the stygian sea of our commerce.
The Oregon" still trolls and hears no
sound save his own dashiugs' so far as our
''noise of trade" is concerned, for our
''rumbling Wheels" like Pharaohs, are as
silent as Clarke county on the roads. Let
some modern Swift write for us, not the
history of Liiput, or OF Brobdinag, but of
the people who dwell in semi-liqud world;
he would have ample scope for genius, he
could not make them pigmes or giants, they
could not wear wood or feathers and it
strikes me. with nur present slim outlay of
literary and muscular energy, we are in
danger of the same dilemma commercially.
we hold this truth to be self evident, that
civilization cannot exist without roads and
money. We can see how promise FOR
money can be used as money-notes, green
backs, &C., but simply promise for roads
don't pass. Let the people of Vancouver or
Clarke county or her officials try this for
while and they will find themselves passing
to useful nothingness. There cannot well
he better roads without coin. yet, while
waves of thought in ink and paper are first
in the held, the jingle of coin must assist to
put our roads in a condition to let our peo-
pie raise a sufficient revenue for other en-
terprises. Gentlemen, officials, let us have
no 'fooling" away the county energies in
other enterprises until this present need is
supplied; don't thrust any more irons into
the fire until We have done something with
this; we want no running in debt for non
productive enterprises until we have our
wheels out of mud, then we will see many
an unthought of addition to our county
funds. 1t is not the intent of this paper to
touch road work in detail, reserving that
matter for another time. We now simply
ask for some ensr.sy of thought prSparatury
to action. We ask the merchants OF Van
couver to consider that their business in
creases with the efficiency of the reads, the
press will find here additional growth, the
county officials increased popularity. The
county seat more firmly established. We
trust these self-evident truths may go into
action. That the county court will rise
above local matters, save the available en-
ergies of the county to he applied to adding
to. rather than subtracting from, our capac-
ity for increase of revenue. Don't imagine
that the county is out of debt because the
county orders are paid up, or small bal
ance in the treasury. The county is in debt
when her citizens are not able to maintain
their commercial existence and add each
year to the county revenue. She is in debt
when she has impossible roads and mort
gagged farms thick along them. She has
,corse than money debt when her leaders
are willing to run her in debt for S25, 900
for court house, and her press and officials
are passive as to her presen. state of roads.
1t may be urged that posterity can pay
that debt. l reply give posterity chance
to pay for the roads and we eau pay for the
court house and make money by it into the
bargain. While we have much to say on
this subject of roads that has not been said,
| we defer until next week. X. CIMrD.