The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-12


sae most 4n7or-aE. enterprises OF this
esAtl-s IS the proposed construction OF
sac SscaraEssa canal and wise states
AaAsnis dictates q policy that viii COM
nil the United States government 10
e1er rs power ana expead IT'S resources
70 seizure The completion. al the actual
ara necessary cost OK construction. Of
snis great undertaking. and coupled with
sh1s substantial aid should be the de.e-n-
NATION taas. when finished. the canal
sn11' De forever under the consro, or our
government And al yhls-.he expenditure
OF mlsio1s--is TO reduce the cost Ct
.sans 2ortaison. and. by reducing IL, 20
oenea, tne pro!ucer and the consumer.
II - TINE fhas attention was directed
20 iae Improvement o. the farm roads
OF the country a. a means 81 further re-
oacins the cost Of marketing farm pro
DUCTS ard heBefcing the :mporsan; class
o. our citizens engaged in Agriculture.
Farmers are not the only class inter
ested in farm roads: al classes have more
o. less interest IN ptSh.ic highways Some
country roads. II Is true, are never used
except by the ressfsn. Of the vicinity. bar
there are roads which. on account Of their
location ara used for general travel, and
the property owners along such roads
should not be required 20 bear the entire
expense OF keeping them in repair. Some
or the principal highways Of the state.
therefore. nigh. wei be considered and
treated as state roads ans. improved at
state expense. Gov. Hin, Of New York.
recommended the expenditure OF sIass.eos
by the state OF New York for the i'm
provemens OF the most important roads
OF that state: and bill for that purpose
twice passed the senate. but was defeated
IN the assembly on close vote. TIE
governors OF other states have urged in
their annual messages a system OF i'm
proved highways.
There are two methods OF securing bet
ter roads One is 10 change the present
indefensible system OF collecting and sx-
pending the road tax in road construction
and repair. so that the fund shall be eco
nominaliy and carefully expended. and al
so by the adoption Of such legislation as
viii secure the proper location ard the
construction o. good and durable roads
together with the preparation OF careful,
adequate plans and specifications before
the work is undertaken; and the other Is
raising. by mourning bonded indebted
ness. where state constitutions viii per
init of IL. OF sufficient SUM 10 con-
s.rucf at once thorough system OF i'm
proved roads in a county.
In Union and Essex counties. New Jer-
sey. where a new system Of racadamixed
roads has been recently adopted. and the
roads constructed upon funds borrowed
upon bonds. the practical result has
shown the policy 10 be most beneficial
The property OF these counties has ap-
precia.ed in value far more than the cost
OF the roads" and that not only in the
case OF sale and exchange, but upon tax
levy. The actual increase OF values of
lands benefited by the improved roads II
Is said meets the increased taxes reQuis-
lite to pay the interest upon the bonds Is
sued for the improvement.
The construction a. once OF a complete
and thorough syStera Of county roads for
a county. or several contiguous counties.
has many advantages. IL brings into the
county. to be paid out for labor. and af-
terward used In improving and increasing
the value of the taxable property OF the
county. the amount required for the i'm
provemen As soon as the system Is
completed. there is a large increase in the
marketable and taxable value OF all the
farms IN the county. and the people at
once come into the enjoyment OF the COM
forts and advantages which are derived
from goods roads. The work, the large
amount OF which makes u practicable 10
adopt a thorough system, can. therefore,
be much more economically conducted
than when 1t IN carried on in fstful and
irregular manner. insaring al the same
time the almost certainty OF better roads.
The annual lax now levied for the i'm
prorement OF roads would then be levied
10 pay interest upon the bends. and 10
keep the roads In repair. In some per-
lions OF the country II is OF course, more
difficult and expensive 10 construct and
maintain good roads than in others. In
the valleys OF the western portion OF my
own state. Oregon. for instance. owing
TO the alluviai soil and iong-con.inued
rains OF winter, the condition OF the or
binary county roads becomes at times
very bad: but the problem OF securing
good reads there differs from the prob
lem OF making good roads in more favor
ed regions only as to the limit of cost.
Roads are often laid out in such a man
ner as to make their Improvement dim
cult or impossible. The improvement.
when commenced, Is too frequently I'M
de-taken In ignorance OF the character
OF the work required. with no definite
plan. and without the supervision OF those
who have special training and experience
qualifying them for the work. the result
often being Of such a character that the
expenditure IL nearly. IL not wholly, a
total loss. Therefore. II Is safe to say
that there IL nothing In this country upon
which so much money Is expended. where
there Is such an exhibition OF ignorance.
lack OF system. and looseness in expend.-
roads.
I have an impression that IL the taxes
annually collected in this country We're
collected in money and judIcsously and
economically expended. In a COMPARE
lively few years the principal highways
OF the country would be put IN a reason
ably good condition In most OF the states
the road tax Is worked out: and from
time immenorsal the road work has been
In many cases treated as a matter 10 be
sighted. One man hired az so much Der
day Will DO as much. and probably more.
work than several taxpayers working on.
their taxes. The whole system should
be changed. The county courts. or other
county authorities charged with the ad-
niinsst-ation % the read iaws. should be
required 70 determine In advance the
character OF the work. giving the matter
such careful and intelligent consideration
as would enable them 70 adopt a p,an
which would secure good road suitable
10 the wants es the community. and ad-
spfed 10 the climate. Az small portion %
the road tax as is practicable should be
used TO keep existing roads in renafr
and as large a portion as possible applied
annually 20 tie construction OF a system
% improved roads.
LEGISLATION should - had ay the sever
al states looking 10 an improved system
OF public HIGHWAYS. providing as Ear as
practicable BY general provisions require
men.s FOR the same. There should ne IN
each county engineers charged with TIA
laying out and preparing proper plans
and sr-eess fraticns for ere ccratru-tioa ard
Improvement cf highways. Tire road tax
should ne collected fr raor~r az other
taxes. and sho1sd be set aside ard kept
distinct as a general fund 70 be expen6-
81 under che direction CT sbe county
authorities The labor employed shoult
be hired az current rates OF wages. ars
the ia5orsr required 20 perform honest.
faithful xe-Tice. Greater care should be
= - a.