The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-07-20
FOR BETTER ROADS.
Mr Ingalls, Assigns Reason FOR the
Failure of the Presen, System.

CHADwELL. July is-Editor As,Orian:
Allow me space to discuss subject Of
Vita importance to the people Of Ciatsop
county and you wiz confer a favor upon
an afflicted community.
Ny text is on the building. repairing
und keeping up OF our roads and public
highways in clatsop county. and while
my remarks may seem personal. no per
sonality Is meant or intended. l simply
wish TO assall our present laws and sys-
TEN In vogue and point out It's weak
points and suggest remedy.
! speak mainly from my observations
for the past several years IN three or
four road districts, but conditions and ex-
perlenoes will probably apply to every
district in the county.
Messrs. Relth and Larsen have just g.
Illustrated what can be done in the shape
Of road building on the Lewis and Clarke
road under competent boss. and a
change ln the road can be seen as soon
as the bossed work Is. finished
The majority of road supervisors. with
out boss, work on the good places on
rOad and leave NE bad ones.
Several years ago Mr.. Resth, when
supervisor In distriCt.No. expended sew
eral hundred dollars on less than two
miles OF road. which has been rebuilt
more or less every year since. and since
he got out from under boss he has been
picking out the nice dry places to repair,
while the rough ones he ignores; all for
the want oc a boss
Dan Ingalls, has been reappointed for
the third time on the upper Lewis and
Clarke. and he ought to have been fired
or fined every l5 minutes for repairing the
good places and leaving the logs and mire
holes untouched; and all for want of
boss,
cursed and quarreled with Mr.. Josiah
West for the last two years and praised
up Mr., ober, Now. Mr.. o6er is read
supervisor, had the displeasure Of ride
ing over the road in Mr.. ober's district
recently and there were logs. brush.
s,umps and holes which would make an
insane man crazy. here in the middle OF
July: all for the want OF a boss.
Down in Mr.. Condit's district l found
roots and logs right in the center Of the
road that were extremely dangerous;
and all for the want Of a boss,
Now, the law says that road supervis-
ors shall keep all the roads in his district
in good repair and erect guide boards,
and common sense says repair the roads
in the fore part Of the season, so the
public can get some benefit for the use
OF their money.
Now, the remedy:
l would suggest to our Hon. County
Court, until we get remedial legislation
in the election Of county superintendent
Of roads and bridges. that they make 1t
a rule to appoint each other for speci'
fed time. either quarterly or monthly.
Say let Judge Gray serve four months,
then Mr.. Lewis or Mr. Peterson, and dur
ing the time the one is serving as boss,
let the other two agree to sustain him
in everything he does or suggests during |
his lncumbency and when the one who is
boss rides out into a road district where
the road supervisor is hoeing or haying /
or doing his own work when the road In
his district is full OF roots. stumps logs,
and mud holes. and the bridges have a
jump of foot to get on or of OF them,
fire them or fine them. Then and not
untn then, win a suffering community
get some benefit from their money paid in
road taxs, Yours respectfully,
w. ]. INGALLS,,
man always feels especially pleased