The record-union., 1893-10-18
THE DEBATE.

THE DEBATE.
The temporary officers were unani-
mously declared the permanent officers,
and Charles +. Mack and George 3.
Secretaries. William G.. Sheldon and
Thomas Mcconnell were chosen Vice
Presidents.
1t was decided to debate the sections of
the paper read seriatim, as far as any
| difference of opinion developed.
! 1t was also decided that all present
should be considered members of the
| convention.
Mr.. Woodson explained that the reso-
lutions read were prepared by the Sacra-
mento Road Club, which was organized
| by members of the State Road Conven-
! ton, and were presented after careful
consideration as representing grouping
of questions which should be thoroughly
! debated and understood.
The first three sections were adopted
without debate. When the fourth was
read, the question was raised by John
! Miller as to what should be considered
main trunk-line roads, and whether the
river road running to Walnut Grove
would be considered trunk-line road.
There should be a definite understanding
on the subject when voting upon the Sec
| ton.
j. Ii. Hamilton said that many dele
| gates present were not prepared to vote
| on the question just now. Some years agoa
proposition was made to bond the county
i'll order to build good roads, and some of
the best lawyers stated at the time that
the county would have to pay all the cost,
as the city could not be compelled TO pay
part OF it, and that may be the case now.
If so, the county does not want to bond,
as they believe the city should bear its
share of the expense which beneiits.her.
The county cannot afford to pay it all,
| and will vote against bonds if she must
40 so. Ii the city helps to pay them the
county will vote for them.
Mr.. Woodson stated that X-AttOrney
| General Hart had told him he would pre-
| pare an opinion for him. but had sud-
denly been called away by a suit before
/ he could DO SO. He had, however, looked
! up authorities on the subject that sus
| tanned the desires OF this convention. He
! then quoted from the State Constitution
as To powers of Supervisors, and quoted
! the laws to show that the Supervisors
may submit the question of Indebtedness
for any purpose, and that ii the debt is
created by the vote of the people it is
| binding upon all the county, irrespective
/ OF municipal corporations.
! a. c. Hinkson thought the convention
! should assume that the Supervisors had
! power 10 bond the city and county to
! pay the bonds, and should proceed on
that supposition. II they have not that
| power our work is simply lost and we
! cannot help it.
! c. d. brooke did not agree with the last
speaker. We should settle the question
now. lie believed that the law would
compel the residents of the city TO pay
their share Of the burden. The county
opposes bonding under the idea it must
pay all the cost. He would like to see the
Attoruey-Generals opinion before adopt
ing the resolutions. He was in favor of
good roads. The counties around us have
good roads, why should we not have
them?
\. c. Hinkson offered the following
amendment to the fourth resolution,
which was adopted, and the resolution as
amended adopted:
Provided, That it is the sense of this con-
Yention that no attempt should be made TO
bond our county for the purpose of construct
ing or repairing roads, il it is ascertained that
the obligation cannot be imposed equally
the city and county.
SANTA CLARA ROADS.
Supervisor Todd, being called on for
information. stated that the Supervisors
had just visited Santa Clara, and it was a
fact that Santa Clara had good roads 1t was
a TACT also that she had levied a tax Of 80
cents per SI00 on So. 4.0O0,0G0 to make them
with. while Sacramento County has
tax of 20 cents on Sl7 ,00G, 900. She has
8
washed down by the torrents, in the
creeks and rivers, easily accessible for
road making. In this county bridge after
bridge has to be built. gravel has to be
hauled many miles in some cases, and if
the people want good roads they must
submit TO the cost of building them.
WE HAVE MATERIAL. TOO.
J. H. Rutter spoke of the upper and
lower Stockton roads, the two main high
ln aff IL To-
the material at our doors. On the Ameri-
can River there are hundreds of carloads
of gravel easily accessible. A short rail-
road track would bring it to the cars, and
it could be distributed by them through
the county. At the junction of the Folsom
and Placerville roads there are millions
of carloads. We have been going back
wards in Sacramento County, he said. for
forty years. Our culverts are not what
they should be, and they do not last.
They could be built on a frame in half
circle, large enough to carry the water,
and made from granite chips with sand
and a little cement, and would then stand
for all time. We would then have some
thing permanent.
GOOD ENOUGH ROADS.
A. T. Plummer asked Supervisor Todd
how many miles he travelled in Santa
clara County, and the latter replied that
the route of the party embraced most of
the valley, and took in thirty-five to forty
miles.
Plummer stated that there were that
many miles OF good road in this county.
Strangers, he said, read in the papers that
we have no good roads in this county and
ask him how he gets to town if there are
no roads, and he tells them he stays at
home when they are too bad. There is
no kick in the county about the roads,
but the city wants the county to build
good roads for it, and does not take into
account the hard times the farmers are
going through.
SPRINKLING COSTS MONEY.
Mrs. Jones said that since the Santa
Clara roads had been spoken of she had
given some attention to the subject of
sprnling, and found it would cost Sac
ramento County more than Santa Clara,
which sprinkled on both sides of the
road, while Sacramento does not.
Supervisor Curtis stated that in Santa
Clara County big tanks were stationed
along the roads, half mile apart and
pumping engines maintained. Two-inch
pipes were connected with them, being
laid along the road for miles. The tanks
were thus always kept full. Here we
have windmllls, and our tanks are some
time empty for days till the wind springs
UP, and meanwhile the roads become
dusty. In Santa Clara they sprinkle one
side of the road to-day and the other to-
morrow, and the climate prevents it from
drying out as fast as ours. The roads are
not as wide as ours, either. Each wagon
sprinkles from three to seven miles, at a
cost of S75 per month.
PROPERTY SHOULD PAY,