The San Francisco call., 1897-02-17

manage our own roads. We do not ask
for any bureau of highways, or any COM
missioner, or anything of that kind, and
if they will only not interfere with us or
mutilate our system we can maintain our
system of good roads in the future as we
have in the past.
''The levy of 215 cents over 1000 miles of
roads is an absurd proposition. Why, it
would take forty years to perfect such a
system. | believe in a system that the
present generation can get some good out
of, and / do not see how it is that the
Governor of this State can appoint three
men to run a road system better than the
counties can by electing their own men.
If appointed they would be only human
ings-not necessarily have wings.
think it could be made one of the greatest
political machines i'll the State of Cali
fornia, because they could have their own
men in every precinct, with over $500, 900
behind them to spend.
Moreover, the Legislature can put the
same restrictions on the Boards of Super
visors that it can put on the Bureau of
Highways, and can compel the different
boards to maintain Ood highways in
their respective counties. The sum of
$500, 900 scattered over 40G0 miles of road
would not amount to anything at all. AS
l understand the bill no county can have
to exceed the sum of Sis, 600 in any one
year. That would not so much as sprinkle
our 100 miles OF road, which they propose
to make State road.
IF the incorporated cities feel like pay.
ing a road tax they had better spend it on
themselves. They need it about as bad as
anywhere. Three men in the State Bureau
of Highways have in two years spent
about $50, 900. If they had employees in
the same proportion to the 1000 miles of
road it does not seem to me as if the ap-
preparation would pay their, salaries alone.
II want it to be understood that am in
full accord with the wheelmen. do not
want to discourage good roads in any way
or shape, and when wheelmen want
to have races you will notice that in most
cases they come down to Santa Clara
County to make their records. | am op-
posed, however, to any system that takes
the care of the roads away from the conn
ties. To my belief the counties are able to
and should maintain their own system of
reads.
There is another matter closely con.
nected with the question of good roads
that should come in for the careful
thought of all those who take an interest
in the welfare of the State. Two wears
ago bill came before the Legislature to
build rock crusher at Folsom. The
counties of Sacramento, San Joaquin and
Yuba were very much in favor of it. !
was liberal enough To help the matter
along by using what influence 1 possessed
20 have the crusher put in. 1t was done
at an expense of $50 900.
1t has now been in operation about
two years, and understand that none of
the counties named have avaied them
selves OF the privilege of using the crusher
on their roads. This crusher may be a
good thing for the counties near Folsom,
but it is of no earthly use to those far
away. The ffeightage of taking it around
GIttPranf id to-
When the other counties wish to have any
ock-crushing done they have to start
crushers of their own.
I'm conclusion, let me state that if the
incorporated cities of this Stale want to
contribute 5000 600 TO the i'm mprovement OF
the various roads of the State they had
better do it through their respective
boards OF Supervisors and not through
any commissioner, and if San Francisco
feels like contributing $4,000 a wear
toward road building she ought to have
some say as to how things are done"