The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1892-05-12
The WEISER SIGNAL.
THURSDAY, MAY IL, 1852.

who as clerks of the boards OF
commissioners are in position to
become thoroughly acquainted with
the workings of our present road laws
and observe wherein they are
defective. Were the auditors of all
counties of Idaho to meet and discuss
the great and momentuous question
they could point out their defects
and present a memorial to our next
legislature which would undoubtedly
result in the passage of new and
better road laws. Fully one-third
perhaps, of the road money of Wash
ington county, and other counties as
well, is paid ont to road supervisors
for the ridiculous job of warning out
men. Every dollar should be spent
directly upon the roads themselves.
Ii they are to work notice should be
posted in some public place setting Il
date and the men expected to be there
or pay the money. But the system
Of working the roads is all wrong.
The labor performed here and there
by those who prefer to work out their
road tax is generally applied where it
is likely to tend to their personal
benefit without regard to the
requirements of public travel The
simple fact is that under our present
system the money is squandered and
the labor misapplied wasted and
practically thrown away. Drainage,
grading and every elementary idea
involved in the making and keeping
of good road is ignored, and the
work is done without rule, reason or
any regard for ultimate results.
Under the present enlightened system
of working OUT road tax, water is
permitted to stand for months at a
time in great pools to mix and churn
with the soft dirt until the fierce heat
OF summer carries it of by the slow
process of evaporation, and then in
the easy opportune time we apply the
lazy process of squaring our road
account with the public by kind of
shiftless tinkering which makes the
road even worse in summer and leaves
1t all the more susceptible to the
dissolving influence of autumn rains.
As we have said, the farmer loses fully
three months of valuable time. and
money thereby, every year, in waiting
for the roads to dry up. We believe
that county road supervisor should
be elected and road taxes paid in
money under Il system which requires
the highways to be properly made
and properly kept throughout the
year. 1t would produce such
amazing results that the farmer
would never again accept the draw
backs and embarrassing results of the
old system. To sum up the whole
matter the personal labor system of
maintaining the public roads is a fat
failure. Not single mile of first
class roads is built under this system.
1t is blot upon our civilization, a
scourge to The industry of the farmer
and upon every town surrounded by
farming population. 1t is the
most expensive to maintain and the
least efficient in its results. 1t is
degrading to the state and to the
citizen whose personal labor it de-
mands in the public service, for it is
well to remember that the only two
classes of persons who labor under
the statute to pay an obligation to the
state are the farmers who labor on
the public roads and the criminals
who labor in the common prisons.
The farmer deserves at the hands
of his state more elevating, more
efficient law Let us away with the
old system, and, following the later
and time proved methods of other
countries, place at least our main
roads under the charge and direction
ofskilled officials, and impose upon
the counties and state at large the
obligation of keeping them in suita-
BILE repair.
We would be only too glad to see
our contemporaries throughout the
State urge this matter and do battle
in the good cause. Let us see if
such a convention spoken of cannot
be worked up and better road laws
obtained, 1t will be glory to our
state, and welfare and prosperity
with our people.
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No, Lorton, we cannot see that we {
are doing any sculduggery work for {