The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-08
5000 u

| ta,uso "
There IN a difference u opinion be-
tween members of the Common Coun-
cll of Astoria and the county court an
10 which party has the right tO expend
the money collected for road purposes
In tho city The case of oregon city
", the treasurer OF Clackamas county,
recently decided by the supreme court.
WAS auppopcd to cover the point In
controversy, but We find the charters
ulncr very materially, and the decision
does not apply to our case. II our laws
van be amended 30 aA 10 levy a mill
road tax upon all the property In tho
county forty or ffty per cent Of the
amount collected In the cities 10 be
apportloncd Ia tho country districts,
the balance to be paid to the city treas.
urrr for street crossings, etc, We could
then plan some systematic and pcrma-
ncnt work Rock crusherv could be
bought and macadam roads built. at
about 81 900 per mile, or roads built of
plank Tor about $500 90. or punchcon for
about tGOO00 per mile each. Or II the
people really want n road and viii
petition for II, they can be built under
our present laws and bonding system
The road fund for each district has
been ~ small that II has not been
thought advisable to buy rock.
crushcr, that is very badly necded, cs.
pcclally to macadam the hills. now al.
most impaSAabe In wet weather for
unshod horses, oven when plankcd or
punchconcd. Several counties In the
state have one or more rock k.crushcrs,
aud claim they are absolutely necea.
snry To good roads
We have paid for county bridges,
built by contract, during the past year
N,3Stls, other Items of lumber for
small bridges and supplies Keepers "
bridges, surveying and inspection OF
roads and bridgc1 si,GO2sa making q
total of Sh,gaSGL The principal part
of this money has been expended 10
connect settlements and large tracts " |
property that have been paying taxes
Tor years but the owners have been
lnable To utilize It properly for want
~ bridges To yet to Il,
In order to connect the city VI Astoria !
by wagon road with that part or the
county lying west or Ynung's River |
which Includes the Lcwls and Clarke,
ClRtsop Plains Seaside, Nccannlcum, |
and Lower Nchalcm country II viii be
necessary tn construct pile trrsuc |
ZOO or $500 feet long, and draw
bridge from 200 tn eSS fcct long.
More than thNV.fourths OF the tax. /
paycw ot tho city and Vicinity have
petltioncd for u bridge and II reason.
.hlc bids are received for ltS construc.
uoM We expect to have It completed |
by July /, 1897 These improvements
win Increase the value or property ad.
iaccut to tho bridge which the ~.
scissor should not fail to notice, and In.
crease present values sufficient To pay
tho interest and ultimately the cost NJ
the structure built ..E,
Many persons Nrc applying To the
county court Tor the position of road
supervisor who are not able 10 do a
days work, and othera expecting to
draw pay ~ supervisor without doing
any manual labor Formerly when the
supervisor collected the road poll tax
and expended II In the district he was
held responsible by the people ot whom
he recclVcd such tax, Under the prns.
ont law and manner of collecting and
apportlonlng the road tax the county
court hold that money having been
collected by the tax collector ot the
county and turned into the county
treasury Il should be paid out only
upon the approval of the county court.
and tho ccrttncatr ot the supervisor,
who must render full service for money
received by him
The amount ot warrants drawn on
the general fund for the year iS06 was
ii0, sIS,Os; on the rDad funds, city and
county t6,sOOiA From the general
fund lSOa, Stil0t,SS, on road FUNDS. city
and county, tS,tiSss, The amount Of
warrants drawn on the general fund
Tor 1899 has been Increased ~ tho tol.