Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1904-04-21
A Plea for Progress.
Editor Elmnre Bulletin:


Sir:-For some time past l hav,
been watching with keen interes
the trend of affairs in our count,
and Of the several villages therein
| refer now particularly to affair,
financial and progressive. 1t ap
pears to me that we are not NOV
ing forward in the spirit and tim,
that we should In looking for th,
reason why this is so, / have ar,
rived at the conclusion that we lacl
cohesion and system. If this is the
correct conclusion, what then mus,
we do to remedy this state Of affairs I
1t is not that we do not appreci
ate and desire progress, but rather
that we lack concerted action. Az
proof of this it is but necessary to
read the official proceedings Of the
board of county mmissioners and
village trustees The former,
especially, shopw's that the people
in widely separate parts Of the
county have the desire to proceed
and do better, for this board is at
every meeting petitioned for roads
and bridges, and various other
public necessities Take for illustra-
tion the road of the county. 1t is the
unanimous concensus of opinion
that they are in q bad state, and
the powers that be that are 10 con-
troll (supposed to be but are
not, because of statutory limi-
tations and red tape) are at
their wits end how to proceed right
ly and justly.
We are under a road contract
system, a nd have been for some years
past, and it appears now that the
system is not the right one. What
shall be done2 This system is in
force because the people refused to
elect road overseers or ask that
they be appointed, Roads-roads
and bridges and as good as our
means will permit for inter-county
necessity-are the crying need of
the times In village affairs much
the same state prevails.
In the past few weeks private
parties have invited us to meet
them for the purpose of discussing
water works system for the town,
aud, by the way, it is none too
early to agitate this and other pub
lie utilities, for come they will and
must. But the proper way to in
augurate this much needed water
service is the question, Shall we
have it or not?
How? By giving the village
over to private corporation by
franchise with $50, 900. or $4,000 90
of bonds, or ipaugerate it ourselves?
There is no end to the private COR
poration paying part of it. But if
We inaugurate it ourselves, we, and
we alone, own and control it at the
lowest possible cost. The means
to do this is at our doors, for light,
power and water service, at rate
of one-third or one-half the cost of
the private corporation, with
gradually decreasing cost, until the
minimum of maintenance is reached.
1t seems to me, Mr.. Editor, that we
should form an organization, some
thing in the nature of commercial
club, throughout the county. Or
ganize club of this kind, appoint
an executive committee with sub
committees in all the villages, min
ing camps and farming communi-
ties in the county, let all the people
bave representation through their
sub-committees on all matters that
concern them locally or at large.
Appoint this committee from among
men of tried business ability and
judgment in their respective lines
of work.
1t has been the practice when
any thing was wanted or needed to
go out with a subscription paper or
petition for any thing that was need
ed ort bought to be needed and col
lect money for that purpose. But
what of the object or expenditure2