Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-01
A SPECULATIVE SCHEME

he pretends to regard as inconsistencies
in the course pursued by this paper on
the bond question. Bre'r Strong or
dinarily writes well, sometimes with
pointed pen, when he honestly believes
that he has any real arguments to adj
vance; at other times with very COM
mon stub, when his constituency de-
mands that he spread considerable
amount Of ink on the wrong side of any |
subject. When he is short on points |
he gives his imagination full play, |
takes his old stub and proceeds to an
athematize the "Larrabee street organ"
in an apparently most malevolent man !
ner. But he doesn't mean it, Almost
any man in his position would be
obliged to occasionally indulge in the
same kind of freaks. 1t is a question
with him not of real consistency but
imagined eXpediency. He knows that
he is expected TO oppose whatever this
paper advocates. As some volcanoes
are constantly subject to disagreeable
disturbances within, and on account of
them are liable at any time to break
forth in eruption, so our contemporary,
from causes easily explained, is kept in
a chronic state of opposition. Bre'r
Strong has a good sized head, not alb
normally developed, that is to say not
swelled, but very good all around
head But we advise him to wear a
hat with a little hole and a ring in the
top of It. He can talk through it
easier. He knows well enough that
this paper has not opposed and does
not oppose roads. 1t simply counsels
the defeat Of a proposition which is a
dangerous menace to the welfare of the
county. 1t is the plan proposed, not
the end sought, that the HERALD OBJ
jects to.
The common roads" in the United
States will never be what they ought
to be until some of the scientific prin-
ciples which bear the names Of Telford
and Macadam are brought into use in
their construction. The famous Appian
Way, completed by the Romans up
wards of 1000 years ago, our previous
reference to which Bre'r Strong does
us the honor to mention, would have
been indistinguishable long before the
beginning of the Christian era if it had
been built i'm the slip-shod manner
which makes nine-tenths of our public
highways in this country an abomina-
ton during a considerable portion of
every year. From the downfall of the
Roman empire to the latter part Of the
eighteenth century scientific road maxi
ing seems to have been one of the lost
arts, so to speak. In solidity Of con-
structIon the roads built by the early
Romans have never been eXcelled.
Many Of them still remain, even con-
shutting the same road surface in
use in parts of Italy TO
the present day. They were not
built with planks or corduroy, nor were
the powers that built them satisfied
with such specifications as this: "Turn-
piking, i. e. ,rhere grduel is found, by
ditching on each side Of road and throw
ing up the center" 1t is well known
that gravel is found i'm onlya few places
in this county contiguous to the roads
proposed. Have not then the people a
right to insist that the plans Of the
commissioners with reference to the
major part Of the construction, wlere
gravel is not found. be specifically out
lined, or at least generally indicated?
Is it right that the taxpayers should be
asked to contribute lavishly TO blind
pool? Is it right that they should be
asked to mortgage their property to
furnish working capital for pet banks,
first by making them the depositaries
Of the entire bond proceeds and second
ly Of the big sinking fund which the
proposition seeks TO Greater IL is pro-
posed, in the event Of the success Of the
bonds, to pay the interest semi-annual-
~ and e-half Of the principal, or $780,
900, on the first day Of April, 1902. To
do this it would be necessary TO create
sinking fund and sink in IL, for the
benefit Of the banks, $4,000 annually
for ten years. The second year the
banks would have the free use Of s4O,-
600, the third year Of $50, 900, the fourth
Of $50 900 and 50 on, and meanwhile the
dear people would be paying interest