The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-28


iect-A Few Extract. From the
Book of an Authority on the Sub
iect.
This morning at 70 o'clock the first good
roads convention ever held in the state
will he called 20 order in the rooms or
the chamber OF commerce, corner OF Yes
Ter way and Occidental avenue. This
gathering is a most important one TO the
well being and future Of the country. as
there is nothing that is retarding the
growth and development Of Washington 80
much as the lack of good highways. This
Is especially true Of the western part or
the state which. because Of its heavy
growth OF timber and the rolling nature Of
It's country and other physical difficulties,
makes road construction both difficult and
expensive.
II will be the mission Of the convention
to devise WAYS and means for the prOvid-
ing of better roads and with that end in
view bills win be formulated and pre-
scented 10 the legislature. From interviews
hitherto published IL will be seen that
there IS considerable opposition 70 the
present system OF road districts under the
supervision Of road supervisors 1t is con-
a wide area and because of this much of
the money raised for road-bailding IS
wasted. II Is thought that all road build
ing I'm each county should he turned over
10 one man and this suggests the idea
that A county road supervisor might be
provided for under whose direction all
roads could BE constructed and all repairs
made. By this change OF system Il Is con-
tended that roads would be hulk with a
view to the general good rather than TO
benefit any particular locality.
II has also been suggested that road
commissioner be added TO the list Of OFF,
Gals Of the state. II Is contended that a
road commissioner is just as essential in
this state "a il the secretary OF state or
any other OF the state officers. Another
question that should be considered by the
convention IS tho employment of convict
labor on roads. The best Informed pencil
ogists are agreed on the point that road
building is about the only employment at
which convlcts can be put al which they
do not conflict with free labor. Gen. Roy
Stone and other authorities on road build
ing advocate the employment Of Convicts
for this purpose. The good roads idea Is
being taken up everywhere and II IL time
an energetic move was made In this state
Horace Greeley wei said that the way to
resume specie payments was to resume.
The same may be para phrased as to roads:
Tive way to have good roads Is 70 build
them.
Suggestions as Ia Roads.
While the administrative part of road
making IN this country cannot be said to
be past the experimental stage vet Il is
well ard actively begun. says the Mime
apolis Tribune. Nearly every state in the
Union has passed laws. ct its last legis-
lstive meeting. bearing directly on the
present movement for improved highways
While these laws show quite a variety Of
plans end methods BY which the one com
mon object IS TO be gained. vet they uni
f0rmlv show that the real difficulty is not
how 70 build good roads as an engineering
problem. but rather who shall build them ?
How shall the money be rsised with which
20 build them and by what agency shah IL
be exDerdedP And. in the successful inau-
guration OF the movement, just these ques-
tons must be first wisely settled before
any actual road construction can be en-
gagged IN. Some pioneer work must he
done before any general plan can be in
telligently offered. much less accepted. for
the comprehensive treatment Of our pres
ent bad roads disorder. The abolishing Of
the old plan Of poll tax and substituting a
cash payment into town or country road
fund. 90 BE- expended under contract 10
experienced road builders superIntended
by a competent county official Is one N
a
hensive Plan can be approached II Is
easy OF execution and the immediate re-
suits are so favorable that the farmer at
once agrees TO the wisdom Of the plan
To put into operation a law which viii
pat a slight tax upon the narrow tire Is
another means OF getting those most in
terested into an anpreciativA mood that
thc road question must rece~e intelligent
treatment. not oniv a the bands OF our
sfsfs krss F--aS..
business has ANYTHING "a DO with roads
And We seriously question e such bust
ness exists FOR with that increased nros-
rsrrstv W hteil Ysegset follow fha fr-s.s-~-
IRE penalty row paced on the farming
class en- particular viii effect every busi-
ness and occupation.
We have taken advantage 81 these aids
IN 'Ais state and che educational work IS
going on
Several % the Eastern states have
passed THIS stage az transition and are
POW carrying out some carefully devised
pan fnr ultimately bringing fNe whole
states into fhe fuil endowment of good
roads y Sc long stretch hctv-nen these
SInu'e e'imr1r'es sri tho isr-er 0Isr
AZ least % 3, must hs 0assed hv successive
stems taken bv legislature and fhe aao,re
- 0reve st-Aer rhn'r wts4r- ~ or fhr 'srt-
~ % IN recommending fhc Dsvt eanarst.
measure 20 De carried ont n Naztr7 thf-
rr0~rers every state ROW arFuouvtr.f rr,f
les isrs IN th.s work such 1s Nsr Ie-aer
fa'if-~r.a. Vermont View Wr~oshfra.
New T0rk W1rer -huserfs paaTa r-s~F.
et- have a0ra'T'ef q r-r--'f ss-an ta give
s0er az str7v fo ere question FRI an Gee 70
''-ors 30 tre F-Rte and ren7rf back 20 tNe
'eF's atnre zee rc-or.-1a-fa .f--s f,art ne
fltu-e LEGISLATION ara nar-I-s'ar -fs~s Pr
ttFf'r~'0E evs'f-7tfi~ state rrrl svs-
fnn' The 't fr-ria p lrawav rr-rr- I4sf-n