The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-15
THE STATE ROAD Law.
Dtmcult to DO Justice to tho Sparsely
POpula ted Districts.

DAmCuAS 10 40 u OSt1cO 10 the Sp8foelY
Populated Districts.
sAN DE FUcA. Feb. II, 1893
To TIE EDITOR: It is an utter impossibility
to make q general road law in . state where the
wants and interests are diversified as they are
with US without benefting some 10 the injury
OF others. believe the proposed new law grants
to each county and district a certain portion of
the assessed taxes for road improvement. Thus
tar It does not differ from the old, and that in
some counties 10 satisfactory, or nearly 80. for
the reason that nearly all the money appro-
rriated for road purposes goes directly for their
improvement, there being no salaried officers to
absorb the funds.
II sparsey settled districts are obliged to EN-.
ploy an engineer under large pay, with clerk
aud q corps OF surveyors, who Is to pay the bills
except the poor farmer with few chickens, q
pig and COW. and always under the eye OF the
assessor, who is ever ready to increase his tax if
he digs up q stump and plants potato or in.
serts fruit-bearing tree. That they should be
compelled to comply with such law 10 con-
trary to American ideas of equality and justice
As each county has her own bills TO pay, she
should be the best Judge of her required ex-
penditures and the manner Of applying them.
would say, then let the present law remain a.
far a. to leave 1t optional with the people,
through the county commissioner, of how
much they shall appropriate and ito manner.
If We had a surplus in the state treasury,
nothing better could be done than to appOrtiOn
1t among the several counties for road improve.
meut am in favor of good roads and have
given many u days labor to obtain them, and
am willing to give moro when it 10 applied
directly for improvement Some OF our best
men Of practical experience have for years not
only been working at the road laws, but on the
roads, and for general law but little improve
ment can be made. Since the time that Adam
was launched into the world, fuIl-6edged and
ready for business tas soon a. his partner ar
rived), men have been born creepers aud have
10 work their way to manhood. So it is with all
things in nature. There is nothing in contrast
ing our roads with those OF the old nations of
Europe or the Old states Of the Union: if a con-
trast Is to be made, go back when they were of
our age.
Our state il developing wonderfully. and at
no distant day will be up with the older states
in ali the privileges OF civilization. There 10
snch thing as too much law making We no
sooner get accustomed to one law so that wa
can work under it with intelligence, than an
Insignificant change Is made that causes the
making OF new books at useless expense
This is supposed to be a government OF the
people. by the people, therefore the less the law
iniringes on community government, where it
works harmoni ously, the less will be the fric-
ton between that and the people. We have the
land here on the Sound for making thousands
OF homes for those that have willing hands. and
the government sbould second their efforts in
start by allowing them a certain amount of i'm.
provements exempt from taxation
A NJ ARNoYD