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


The gsoa roads convention met IN ths
Rooms Of the Seattle Chamber q Cf'isl-
-~ay~a a. - O'Clock yesterday morning
The attendance was not large, Dsit aIfssils
these present were many Who have GYM
Ere eastees ~ improving the road system
~ fEs@ state much af1euttO1 and VINO ~ 6
s~gnsnqsently prepared not only - point
cut re patent 5efeefa - the present = :
ten bsgs e osTsr valuable suggestions Ter
t-nrragsgsz tha same - appropriate sssAs-
Iaftgn T-f4a forenoon session Was taken
"a uith = general baf infarrrsl discussion
OF the subject. with tentatively ouiElf =
saggeStEons as 70 the outlining 81 q ne"
system
tao seattle Chamber Of C0mmerce. called
shs meeting 10 order shortly after ~
o'clock Senator r. ". Taylor. o. Fiefee
county. vas chosen as chairman. ana
James Hart. VI Auburn. - seeFr'aE >.
srae reporters present Were lrtTied a. as
siafaut secretaries. The chair Inquired
whether any programme or order o. bust
.ess Rad beer arranged and vas INFORMED
thnt there had been none.
" r sgg1sS. II sau3ner. suggested thar
fF.s various phases % tlge read question ae
taken up seflatim and that, ~ shcn a.
order. the pTeseat road system s1o'i4a -
frst takea 10 and IS workings discussed
sms defects pointed out.
IS. q. Gauncs said that As Wha'eom
county Haa currently reported % have the
best system 81 roads In the state. ne w0aio
IKE 20 hear from some OF the delegates
from that county as 70 how they had sue
ese,iesi In accomplishing the weFk
In whatcom County.
WIN u. jenkins. Of Whatcom. secretary
O. state-aleef. responded briefly or behalf
o. yvhatesm He said that his county had
ia M MA ef.sf
roads baiii. bag nos paid for. These roads
we're baut under the Domaine road Jaw.
Ths piau Of plaaksnr the roads h8d not
proved thoroughly satisfactory. especially
a. the sections where there was heavy
fraffsc Or where the roads we're used n
part for logEing plank road would not
last more than four or five years ON thelf
newer roads they made them sixteen feet
vide Eight feet ~ this width VAS plank
el. the remainder graded alone. The idea
was 70 plank the graded portion az the
other side wore out thus keeping the road
open for use ali the time. The roads Of
which they were uFouaest were the graded
roads III the southern part Of the county,
from Fatfhaven TO the Skagtt county hne.
These roads were well made. thoroughly
drained ard Egaveied. They made splendid
summer roads. and with the general use
OF Wide tires on wagons there would be no
question Of their durability. The princi-
pal question he desired 20 hear discussed
was that - ways and means. How the
roads could DC paid FOR as we'll a. built.
New Question Here
W. = Woods said the whole question
was a new one IN this state. There was
nothing worthy of the name Of road IN
this state. AZ least In the western portion.
There had been a surprising amount OF
literature on the subject complied b. the
department of agriculture at Washington.
which he bad sent Tor. and some OF viii n
he had received. and placed at the service
Of the convention. There were transcripts
or the road laws 0f tie various states. ac-
counts Of what had been done In the diree-
ton o. building good roads etc.
James Hart's idea OF the work Of the
convention was FIRST 20 examine into the
existing system. which all know Is bad.
ard then seek 90 End the method Of I'M
proving e. The legislature. at nearly cv-
cry session. has amended the road law or
passed new enaCtmsnts, designed % bring
about . lettering ~ the road system.
Under the law as IL exists. each road dis
trict legies is own taxes and expends
them az It sees ~. what should be done
f. 10 devise system hy which roads could
b. laid out and built. not simply Tor tenn
porary convenience, but for permanent
use tfader tho present eystem each dis
frict caa levy q TAX In is own discretion.
fram I 20 - mills. The money Is expenA-
81 hv supervisors who as a rule are total
Il without experience tn the work. The
supervisors 80 not Insist on the road tax
helng properly worked out AMI the general
aim seems - he 20 see how little not how
much. can - accomplished. ard what lit
tie work IS done ig AZ the places where it
viii most benefit The friends who have as
sisted tn electing the road supervisors
Wiuter IS the time when u Is most Bec-
Is AZ 3
with fair grade IS Eood enough ia SUM
tner ~ Is from October o. MAY that the
greatest amount 20 h8u3ing Is done 10 3
after harvest that a farmer commences 20
81 his Crap 90 market THE talk 81 reck-
iessnsss and past extravs gauce IN county
s1aiFa - ali nonsense.
rae Tax rexy.
The total amount af county taxes ievte.i
- pay interest la haf twa-afths of "a 1uil.
end the safai tBx ieey hut mills THE
city tax leFy for interest aiaue IS mills.
n the delinquent taxes were paid up the
r8umtv enai8 exttnRaiah its Boating aeht
aHa re8ace lts bonded debt one-half A
tax levy ~ } ulDi on fhe present valuation
wouid r4isa annually SO so Tais spru ex-
penaed annually under competent direc-
ton w1Hii 80 Ear towards building a Gee
ceaG road svsten The main hiGaways
should IN BUTT 1rst. the }aterals after
wards
Mr Harris i8sa WIS that thers would
have baeu "a much a8atev deIiaaBgnt tax
ftt and fewer foreclosure &c there had
ha3 heen nach roads as wuu}d permit tha
farmers - ser fhe}F urNdHcts to market
ffh favored Is certral system 90 raad u1au-
aEene- 10 experienced hands. and iucI-
tea{ai 'eaiTlaGiaD &c compel the use O..
wf3e-fl-ef Wagons
Mr. Weats laaorE / whst Ngr Hart bad
ssf3 The #- slt0t n tzxas uhiea st ,sseuts
ru4aira t. euHi ENa1 rslas wts consider
aaie 'ess thsa the nal taN- saa grade
TAX" whica enc farmers paid az rrrsent
TIE StueA district fer example consisted
~ Ao acres ard marketed q sa t3ns
We ra8fs fa present condition Or --st nos
hes thsH So .se annually &C. Hasti ts,st crsp
e. uarksf WITH EasG saare roads tae
cost ee2s1 he less than st ao
Tho Staek ana rayal,up districts mas
nrasfsf.S Ca this ie=ltreef faxaft,n. enough
- h4u4 Eoo3 sfaae vraf f~en she -.-
uaetesi palas ia tae district 20 Tacasaa.
Novel Theory.
Mr.. N1aeNNn of Nss Greek q s,sa-as d
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