Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-01-19
'ghE FREE PRESS.
TIE SITE U'AGON ROAD.
Mr.. Cdlncr0n Proposes to maize
u Written IF0p0sifiOn to Our
COUHfy Commissioners.
GRANGEvILLE. IDAHO

sioners at their last session let
contracts on the Salmon River
division to local men as follows:
John Mathison, LIST mile, $500;
2nd mile, 81 200: 9th mile, 81 400;
7th mile, $500: Sth mile, 800.
Petcr Saith, 3D., 4th and 9Th
miles, 81 800.
Frank Shissler. 18th, 10th, 18th,
18th, 10Th and Goth, $4,000.
A. n. Ingram, 9th, 10th, 18th,
10Th, 18th and l4th, $500
The contracts for the balance of
the road, from the Goth mile stake
to the Salmon Meadows end, a
distance of 331 miles, was awarded
TO Cameron x Lynch, of Spokane,
for $1,000.
1he contract for the entire Elk
City branch was also awarded to
Cameron 4 Lynch for $4,000.
Under the construction put upon
the law by their legal advisers the
State Board of Wagon Road Com
missioners declined to let any con-
tracts unless the entire road is
built. Mr.. Cameron therefore pu,
in his bid to complete the Salmon
river and Elk City divisions for
sum far below their real cost, with
the expectation of getting Idaho
county to make good the deficiency.
Representations were made that
! our county would make Il strong
elIort to complete the roads, and
on the strength of these represen-
tations Mr.. Cameron put in his
bids and filed his bonds. The
State Board accepted his contracts,
and they are now simply awaiting
Mr.. Cameron's signature. If Mr..
Cameron declines to sign, then the
other contracts awarded to our
local men, will also be abandoned,
and none of the road will be built;
because the law is interpreted to
read that the money cannot be
used as far as it will go, but that
the entire road, from start to
tnish, must be completed for the
amount appropriate. This is the
craziest and rotten idea intelligent
men ever advanced. It's effect is
simply to bunco Idaho county out
of the money appropriated by the
legislature for its benefit; but as
the State Commission has adopted
that Interpretation we must per-
force submit. The proposition
therefore be stated as this:
Mr.. Cameron is master of the
situation. If Idaho county does
not undertake to assume the cost.
or to construct these roads itself,
Mr.. Cameron will default on his
contracts. and not a dollar of the
money lying i'll the Boise banks, to
tne credit of these roads will be-
spent. Mr.. Cameron therefore
makes two propositions to our
County Commissioners:
He Will complete his con-
tracts and build the 331 miles on
the Salmon river division provided
the people Of this county will pay
for the same by an issue of bonds
amounting to $4,000.
2-The County Commissioners
may advertise for bids and get
the road built as cheaply as posi-
BILE, if they think Mr.. Cameron's
figures are too high; the only pro-
viso being that all persons who
may thus be awarded contracts
shall pay Mr.. Cameron ten per
cent. of the amount Of their con
tracts to pay the necessary expen-
SEES of his responsibility. etc.
The latter proposition is very
reasonable and practicable. For it
must be remembered that Mr..
Cameron is the responsible con-
tractor whom the State Commits
sioners hold to complete the road.
Should any of the sub-contractors
default on their contracts, Mr..
Cameron must Immediately step in
and assume their burdens, and it is
therefore natural that he should
require some pay for his services.
AS tilc iiidttti NtdlltiS 81 VIZ uluSt
choose, and choose quickly. The
miscellaneous funds for the pay
ment of milage of members of the
State Commission is exhausted,
and any other meeting must be
made good out of the money appro-
priated for Idaho County roads.
Another meeting of the State
Commission is therefore out of the
question. The s37 900 is lying
idle in the Banks at Boise. If not
now utilised it will in all hkeli-
hood be appropriated by the next
legislature TO build other roads in
other counties, as was done with
the surplus on the Warrens road.
On the other hand, if we go ahead
and incur county Indebtedness to
complete the roads, it is as sure as
anything can be that the next
legilature will reimburse us for
every dollar spent on the Salmon
river road. Proposition No. ? is
the one we have personally and
through. the FREE Press, steadily
aad repeatedly urged upon our
county Commissioners to adopt.
let them advertise for bids and
see how cheaply they can get the
i