The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-29

rszrv rs4E-S W1eyE f1e NEsss41 Z 3krE -
per eeaf Razrosa grades rarely excel
4 r-r cent essesFic rosd grades. = pe-
eenr.. yet roads ara laid 3gt Ter farmers 70
haal nuer with grades as high as - PER
cenr There vas \ MI on the road De-
tween S4atfl- az5 RenEgn with the latter
grade. whlrh had cost the farmers hTisg
heyona Il not less taan bali a mllifon 0os-
lars Indirectly. The freight rate from
Eerrgn on kh@ railroad bad been for years
y ca~ss Ger 30. Had the htn not been
practically iuwsrTnauntahie obstacle .
iaamfag The railroaa rate Ecul6 have ben
sa- 20 s.xssAe1 eentz Yet tfEe read could
originally have beer built around the hill.
on a water level. ard with no greater dis
tsncs.
Mr. Nonchon produced a profile map e
fhs Snoquafrnis road. showing the dozens
at hs.svrv gyrasses. q PEP cert. and upward.
lie suggested that a topogTza sleal map O.
M. county should - made as = prelAmSn-
AIRY step toward the adoption 81 any road
system. All rrsaIn roads should follow the
waterways.
Asto the kind % roads needed Mr. Mon
ohon quoted from a report q the Ohio
rad commission stating that good mac
aaarulZsd roads could be built FOR $50 4
rYgfis while electric roads could De built
arssI equipped for 81 80 a mile. II cost i
cents per ton per mile 70 hasu freight over
fhe former class % roads ard but cents
over the latter The electric roads were
thus demonstrated % De cheaper and BET
ter than stone roads. and repairs were
cheaper he believed that II this new
state Is about 70 proceed I'd adopt a new
road systen Il might as we'll adopt the
electric road system row as well as at a
later date II wac the system which soon
or late weuld be universally adopted
The road supervisor system was rotten
70 The core not or account Of the char
81 F5as
inherent vices Of the system he believed
the En0uey for bHilaing electric roads
should be raised Ia great part by taxing
The property benefited. the same as street
grades are paid for. II il took one-tnird
OF the land 20 pay the tax II would be
worth IL.
Mr.. woods dld not think the electric sys-
tenn was elastic enough 70 meet the re-
quirsments OF the rural communities he
believed IN state aid and state supervision
81 roads
Mr.. Kart spoke briefly in favor OF the
Endorsement by the committee Of the Lake
Washington canal. Unless that was put
through, the farmers OF White river val
ley could look forward every year 10 see
ing Their farms, as well as their roads,
under five feet Or more Of water. The dam
age already done by floods this year
amounted 10 fully s2ooooo. ~
Re.prasen a;ive-elect HodgdOn also spoke
briefly on the subject OF the cansA
Senator Taylor called the eonventlon
back "a she main subject. lie said that
the road question was a most important
aye, lhe Convention had poAoaiy 70 de-
qkSe what ought 10 be donsln aae matter.
buh how - d u ESersSne knows the
preAeDt Rad sysssa "A I miserable one.
Reaf snere was 4 system about It. lie
tuggeAea that the tonvent.on proceed 10
doy.se Nome systern pr road law to be pre-
on motSn Of sid b. Wood. a committee
Of seven Do permanent organization was
appointed. Vas follows: Messrs. Gasch,
jenkins. wacds. Gannee, Pr6sch, Coiner
and PaT7uore.
appointed. consisting Of Mayor Woods,
Cline and Parmore. and recess was taken
until l:30.
Afternoon session.
At the commencement Of the afternoon
SESSION the committees made their re-
pOris. That on permanent organization
reported recommending that the organiza-
tion he known as the Good Roads Move
ment. and that Il be open to ali who chose
20 syn the ROLL that the officers consist of
a president. vice president. secretary and
two members OF an advisory committee.
the five TO constitute the permanent advls-
The committee on order Of business rec
commended fhat the convention discuss the
following subjects in order. the discuss. on
OF each topic 10 be limited to thirty min
utess
Present and proposed road laws: cas-
shcati0n OF roads. as state. county and
district: construction, supervision and
maintenance road materials; electric and
other roads. road equipments; uses and
NJ
bicycle. local benefits. benefits 10 elites"
la the discussions which followed there
was 10 rigid enforcement of the rule Inn
ft-ug the speakers 20 the particular head
ing under which tie convention was pro-
ceeding, and consequently rather a wide
range was covered by several OF the speak
ers.
The Present system.
The discussion Of the present system OF
roads CONNIE nced with remarks By James
Hart. on the road system OF Great Britain
All roads are under the direction OF an en-
ginecr. under supervision Of either a city
or county council The money is raised by
taxation. after annual estimates ThIs
money = expended by one officer. and the
eNpeRd tire j. strictly limited to the
amount % the estimates. Politics do not
enter Into the selection Of the officer.
He believed that such system should
be inauEurated here. The state or the
county should select one competent man
TO have charge OF the entre work lie con
sidered the defects Of the present system
80 be mainly the Incompetence OF supervis-
ors- Roads should IN the flrs- instance he
properly drained. then a proper founsfs-
son. tnen a carefully constructed roasfbaa
made Of proper ma fertni, and then the
roads should not oe permitted to ha emf
up by narrow tires. The main question il
the employment of a competent man O.
oversee the work. The greatest obstacle
70 proper location Of roads Is the opnosl-
tion 81 some ser ,iers 90 having The uoaas
pass through ghe level part Of thegr 1ar8s
Mr. Cline spoke about the Douahue law
or turnpike road laws Under thss r,,a8s
are hails oy dire~t taxation upon the proo~
"rty alongside the ro8d. II has resulted
be- WAafcon county ga an enormous bur
don % taxation upon the people Itrirr
along t5e rnad. mere than thev are aha
go pay. suf has provesi &nequssfhse Il, r,rs.-
oce re tnougat tae iaw should be mod
ae't 80 as 90 more eawfabIy divide rhs
cost among those benefited
NJ Woods discussed the present road
system pointing eut fts defects. \ ~,ss
suusf oe lRd oet hv petition After fAa
road has heen surveyed the coantv com
fu3ssiou@rs may reject g. and throw The
costs unau she petitioner TIE costs st.,,fsf
not Pee pat uHun che petitioner. exrenf
where ne has 1nisrenrcseutsa the mat
tors In Improvement u roads thousands
of dollars aRve BEEN 1hroNn aAav because
iae roads hAve been located IN tha wrong
places. THE row aaH should u~os. a, -
t1e best pessih.@ location 81 Use YoaA
fls spoke Briefly ~ tha a5va1tsees ln-
&ett. tha Absolute re~ess5tv. ~ urauer
roads ta tne farmer. Neh sAe heavy ~
P*HSes Whi-h tHe farmers tave piled unen