The record-union., 1893-06-01
THE SYSTEM APPROVED
Bonding to Complete Road Systems
VS.. the Patchwork Waste.
Santa Cruz Sentinel

VS. UHo IaIcnWOfk waste.
Santa Cruz Sentinel.l
We have several times demonstrated
by figures that it is less burdensome to
taxpayers to pay interest on enough
money to make durable macadamiZeu
roads than it is to pay the annual taxes
now levied for making the kind Of high
ways at present in use. One of our con-
temporaries, the RECORD UNION, has lust
been making a similar demonstration.
The county of Butte is contemplating
the issue of S500,O00 in bonds for high
way purposes. 1t is estimated that S4UO.-
900 will make l33 miles of good road in
Butte, which, by the way, is thirty-three
miles less than our estimate on q $500 900
expenditure for making good roads in
this county. The county of Butte raises
S42, 900 for road purposes by annual tax.
The RECORD l MON thinks that not more
than $4,000 of this sum is expended in
permanent and durable road work, and
that $50, 900 of it is about the same as
wasted, being used in road work which
only lasts until the next years tax is
ready. This, we think, is about the con-
dition of things that generally prevails in
counties where the old dirt-road system
is in vogue. We have no doubt that the
estimate substantially applies to this
county. Taking this estimate as basis,
the RECORD UNION shows by clear cal
culation similar to those which we have
several times presented that by issuing
bonds for $1,000 running forty years
and bearing per cent. interest," the tax
payers of Butte County could obtain 133
miles of permanent and durable road for
a much smaller aggregate of taxes than
they will pay for the present transitory
and comparatively worthless roads under
th> system now prevailing. This is
shown by the following figures:
AT per cent. the S3O 000 of waste will
| pay interest upon 100000, and leave Sl0,-
900 annually to the discharge of the prin-
cipal. That is, $50, 900 year raised by
Butte will give her $4,000 worth of good
roads, and in the period required by law,
forty years, pay the principal sum, less,
of course, the annual cost of repairs. But
repairs are made now and must be every
year; they cost more now than they will
under q good road system. So that after
all, as that is cost not TO be rid of, the
item may be eliminated from considera-
tion for present purposes. AS we put il
then, $4,000 will give Butte all the good
roads she needs for the next ten years,
j. e., l33 miles of main highways, leaving
feeders for construction by local districts
Alter the first decade the beneticence of
the new roads will have been so manifest,
the saving by the people in the ten years
SO great, and the building up of the coun-
try so much conserved, that Butte's citi-
Zens can add another l33 miles of main
road without feeling the cost appreciably.
This reasoning is sound, and the result
would doubtless show that our contem-
/ porary is within the mark in its calcula-
tions. In fact, S30, 900 would not have to
be raised by taxation each year to accom-
/ plish the supposed object. The interest
charge after the first year would annually
decrease by the sum of 500, the interest
on the $4,000 of principal paid the pre-
! ceding year.
| Ii the campaign ofsolid facts ana figures
/ in the cause of good roads is persistently
! pressed, the time will soon come when it
will be impossible to prevent counties
from bonding themselves for highway
| purposes.