The record-union., 1894-02-05
sPECIous OBJECTIONS.

An ex-Assembl blyman of this county
takes much space, many figures and a
great deal Of estimating in detail, to prove
to his own satisfaction that macadam
roads, sixteen-foot track, will cost over
S12, 400 mile; ergo we should build no
macadam roads, therefore we should con-
tinue to stick in the mud for all time,
because for forty years we have done so.
and yet paid tax on outside property of
25 cents all that time.
AT this rate where will we land? If now
it costs Us % cents tax to have bad roads,
and if it will cost S12,4O0 a mile to
have mscadam roads, what will be
the tax on outside property to
build macadsm thoroughfares Will
it not be so great as to be prohibitory?
Yet other counties do build macadam
roads.
The simple truth is, that there is falsity
In all the assumed premises of those who
hold that macadam will cost in excess of
an average of $1,000 mile in this county
for sixteen-foot track. But suppose it
does turn out that macadam roads will
cost So. 400 mile; what follows? There
will be no letting of contracts-that is all
there is in it.
The same gentleman argues lengthily
to show that Sacramento city cannot make
contribution to the proposed road fund
for specific purpose because code Sec
ton prohibits the levy of road tax
within municipalities. But it appears
not to have dawned upon the intelligence
of the objector that no one is proposing
to levy road tax upon any municipality.
A specific debt created for given pur-
pose, authorized by two-thirds vote of.
the people, is binding by the express
words of the constitution and the law
upon the whole county. Moreover, the
courts have settled this supposed issue
over and over again, and against the posi-
ton Of the objectors every time
The question of whether the PROPOSE
ton for good roads shall be submitted to
the people must not be befogged by any
such specious objections as are now
raised. 1t is unfair to attempt to defeat
proposition of this character upon the
estimates of the unskilled and premises
that are not based upon the best xperi-
ence and the judgment of road engineers.
The best proof possible of the cost of
macadam road are the bids of number
of builders, operating road machinery of
the most improved character.
1t may be a surprise to our S12, 500
granite curbs, basalt border and gutter
laid III cement, the very highest class
macadam street known is built, with
haul of stone from the breakers of four
miles, for 81 so per foot each side of the
street, forty -eight-foot roadway being
constructed. Extended for a mile this
forty -eight-foot macadam road, with
granite eurbs and stone cutters and bor-
ders, would cost just five times $3.50, or
SIG, 400, only little over twice what our
friend would have US believe it will cost
to build a sixteen-foot macadam road
without borders, granite or any curbs.
and without use Of any cement whatever
and without cost for power to crush
stone.
In Sacramento, without improved ma
chinery, with an extravagantly high
charge in the way of surveyors fees, a
street of macadam was built in the past
year, without counting granite curbs,
but including gutter making, for So A
per foot per block, or 81 72 on each side,
the track being forty-eight feet. This
would be for such a roadway SIS, l63 20
per mile with the track forty-eight feet in
width. In the Sacramento case the ma
terial was hauled from forty to ninety
miles for delivery.
It remains that with improved machin-
cry, long lines to construct, no cost for
power for crushing the rock, since the
power is offered free of cost, a sixteen
foot-track country macadam, with engi-
neering oversight paid for by fixed sal
airy, can be constructed on the average
for the figures claimed by the convention
comnnittee