Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-06-23
THINGS POLITICAL
REPUBLICANS MAKE SAD MIS-
TAKE IN NEW ROAD LAW.
Seattle Republicans DO not Like Foster. Civic
Reforms Are Against Mcbride. Is it 50.
Are the Republicans After the Treasury at
the Expense Of the Other Officers.


the cash balances in the bands of the
state treasurer will become one of the
important is. ues to be discussed during
the coming campaign. There is an i'm
preston abroad throughout the state,
that the fight made by the local delega.
ton to Tacoma for the head OF the ticket
was in reality nothing more than mask,
behind which the plans were carefully
laid to control the treasury.
| Whether the contest for governor was
entered in good faith or not, very few
people believe that Thurston county did
not secure that which the delegation
really went after.
Thus advertising the apparent value
of the treasurership prompts the people
to ask themselves whether it would not
be good proposition for the state to re.
ceive the benefit which large cash
balance brings to the parties who handle
it.
There is no doubt that many OF the
banking institutions OF the state would
be pleased to pay not less than two per
cent. for the treasurer's deposits. The
revenue thus derived would amount to
handsome sum; enough to make all APP
probable difference in the tax levy.
The democratic state convention will
no doubt take the 3.atter up, and a
plank in the platform may demand that
the handling of public money shall inure
to the public good.
Such proposition cannot fail to
appeal to the good sen~e Of the taxpay-
ers, and would mean the drawing Of one
more thread into the republican STROUD.
The road law passed by the befuddled
republican legislature must 60 to the
scrap pile, where nine-tenths Of the laws
enacted by that political aggregation
should be dumped.
All that was seen in the law was an
opportunity to toist more political work.
ers on the backs OF the taxpayers, but
their work was so crude, and the graft SO
conspicuous, that the party itself is re-
pudiatine the work Of its representatives..
What to offer in it's place and still
retain the features to make it desirable
from their peculiar political point Of
view, is a question that is discussed to
some extent by the republican press OF
the state.
1t seems to be the concensus of opinion
that anywhere from two to six hundred
miles OF country road is too much for one
supervisor to look after; and return to
district supervision in some form is con-
sidered inevitable, but none of the pro-
posed plans contemplate the vesting Of
district management into the hands oil
the people, The plan which seems to
meet with most favor, and which is
likely to be adopted if the republicans
are entrusted with the work of changing
the law, is, that the appointive power OF
four supervisors be retained by county
commissioners, and that the four
appointees Re given the power to appoint
any number of deputy supervisors, who
would have control over districts simil r
to those in existence before the law was
passed. This would leave the counties
divided into small repair districts coin.
cident with the old independent road
divisions. but with this radical difference,
that this appointmet Of the district super
visor would vest IN the county commits.
sioners, instead OF the voters. The
present scheme of making all road taxes
payable in cash is to be retained.
No republican paper so far has advo-
Gated a return to popular control in road
matters, but few are proposing the
appointment Of still another official in
the person OF county road engineer.
The people can rest assured that if
future road legislation is committed into
republican hands, that a scheme will be
worked out that will place more
power and patronage in the hands OF
local political bosses and more taxes on
the farmer.
What people want is road law under
which roads can be built. They are moi
interested in building up political
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..