The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-04-01
MAKING
GOOD
ROADS
County Judge InStrIcting the
Supervisors
Must Keep Roads Drained
Even If all Money Is Thus
Expended

A reporter found County Judge
Scott busy at his Office at the court
house preparing letter Of instruc
ton, a copy Of which will be mailed
10 each of the various road superyis.
ors throughout the county. The sea.
son for road building is at hand and
IL Is Judge Scott's intention to have
the work done along the lines OF per.
manent improvement as far as pos.
sible.
A copy of his letter follows:
Please take notice that the new
road laws do not take effect until May
"a. 1903. You will be governed by the
old laws until that time. There will
be n copy Of the new law furnished
you by the time II shall take effect.
I'VE desire to have you ditch your
roads well II Il takes all the money
you have. In making a ditch espec.
ial attention should be paid TO pre-
venting the water in your ditches to
stand In pools and soak into the sides
OF your roads; such pools are often
caused by taking too much earth out
OF the bottom Of your ditch to make a
grade In a low place I'm the road. Il
will do but little good TO put gravel or
crushed rock upon the roads unless
they are well drained. Hereafter the
county court will apoint the superyls
ors and they are 10 have $3.50 per
day. as provided by the new law. A
supervisor that cannot make suitable
bitches TO drain the roads will not
stand much show for reappolntmont.
I'VE will try TO furnish powder 10
blow out the stumps that are In your
main travelled roads. such roads
should receive your especial atten.
tion. The by-roads viii have 10 be
kept up largely by volunteer labor.
We will furnish some powder to blow
out stumps ON by-roads, provided the
people interested in said roads will
clean up the stumps and grade the
road, This Is being done In several
localities. You should grade your
roads when wet and II they cut up
afterward, you can smooth them
down by going over them once with
grader. II graded when dry and hard.
they turn TO dust In summer and TO
mud In winter Try 20 get as much
volunteer service as possible. II you
can have a meeting In your district
Prof, Moores or Mr. Thielsen and my.
self will como out and try 10 create
some enthusiasm among your people
relative 10 the importance OF building
roads, whenever We have a few DAYS
notice.
The roadmaster will be in his OF.
fee upon Saturday only ofeach week.
and vii be in the country looking af.
ter the roads during the remaining
part OF the week.
DO not put big, coarse gravel upon
a gravel or rock foundation. II you
can use such gravel in the bottom OF
the road and put finer gravel ON top
OF It. you viii be able 10 make a good
road.
Please make a close study OF your I
road law SO that You will know your
authority AS road supervisor"
In speaking upon the subject OF I
road Improvement and the matter OF ,
organizing good roads league, the
judge said;
The greatest need OF the State
Good Roads Association is sufficient
funds TO employ a good. live man. who
has made special study OF the road !
problem, 10 hold county and district
conventions in the various counties
throughout the state and put the
road problem properly before the peo-
Pile and get them to organize good
road leagues, and make a study OF the
road question,
Our state organization is prevent
I'd from doing this on account OF lack
of funds.
Had the legislature made an appro
priatlon of $4,000 for the purpose OF de
'raying the expenses OF having such
work done. there could be an interest
'reated that would be worth thou
lands OF dollars to the state at large
n getting volunteer work done. and
would cause organizations 10 be
ormed that would rid very material
y in getting government aid 10 build
lublic roads,
1T is more important for the people
A the extreme West TO have perma,
ent roads than IL is for the people
wing In the Eastern states TO have
hem; for tho reason that the roads
! the Eastern states freeze up and
re covered with snow during the
inter months, when prices are
ood during which time the farmer
an do his heavy hauling at his lels. !
ne while the Western farmer must | 4