The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-18

The Gist OF II.

The farmers of King county would be
quite right In protesting against plan
TO expend the major portion of the funds
collected for road Improvement within the
limits OF Seattle. II any such were in con-
temptation. 1t looks as II a studied effort
were being made In some quarter to ere
ate that impression in their minds. That
this IL not true they may learn from the
expressions OF those who are most inter-
ested In promoting an amendment of the
law. as well az from the terms of the pro-
posed amendment itself.
What the farmers should see at once Is
that they are getting precious little bene-
n now, either from their own contribu-
tions or from those OF the taxpayers OF
Seattle. Enough money Is paid In and
used every year to make handsome start
IN the road-building business. What have
we to show for 1t? IL there a modern
improved highway In the county? Is
there even one passably good road. over
which teams can pass at all seasons with
= moderate load and without great incou-
venience and delay? II these questions
must be answered in the negative. then
there IL something radically wrong in a
system under which 80 much good money
IL wasted
The fault OF the existing method Is dou-
BILE. In the first place, the apportion-
ment OF money among the highways OF
the county is not properly made. There
Ii lot OF politics. favoritlsm aud log
rolling In It. To say that the county's
funds have been used In this way In the
past and that personal and political con-
alterations have played large part in the
distribution. Is only 10 say what every
weii-informed man knows TO be the fact.
Funds thus peddled out. and spent In drib-
lets OF few hundreds here and few
hundreds there, might Just as well have
been thrown into the bitches as far as
the farmers interests are concerned. No.
body can make good roads In that way
any more than he can build a building by
dropping the tail-board OF a wagon load
cd with bricks, starting the horses at a
smart trot and letting the contents scat.
ter themselves along the trail
What We do want city people and
country people alike. is improved public
roads In this county, They win never be
had under the prevailing system. though
tax levies were 10 be multiplied fourrold
The way TO get them Is TO 40 at cor.
structlng them plecsmeal Select first the
main hignways those most Travelled and
a most Importance spend the whole rev
enue Tor a year on one Of these. or on
portions u several Of them. In the balld
ing OF hlsh-Srade. modern improved roads
When that work Is done It VIII stay done
II bu, I've miles were made In a season.
the county would then have Ave miles
of permanent roadway. which Il does not
have nov Then take up the next IN
importance, aud 30 continue untn every
road tn The county l. the best that can be
bull, Tor money
ra9er 4 system like thls, KING county,
IN the coarse OF comparatively few wears,
would have every mile u It's roads made
equal % the best IA the unIted states.
Taxation teg their supper, nigh, then De
reduced to a small sum. equal only To the
cost 81 keeping them IN good repair A
large amount Of money would be saved 70
the fa,mers as maklns communication be.
tween their homes and with their central
market easy much larger amount
would be realized IN the added val
aes 81 their farm property. bur II the
money Is 70 be spent In the future as IN
the past, half a million dollars can be
used IN the next eight or ten years, and
noeody he one penny the better for il
eScep, these through whose hands Z,
passed The roads would stn be a stretch
Of canal broken here and there by mud
holes and hogs
In the matter of road Improvement, the