Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-05-31

tue Widespread ulSSdt1SfdCtlOI
among farmers with the condl
ton of the roads of Benton coun.
ty. The little coterle of bosses
sat dumb in the late Democratic
convention while D -lega,e Bryan,
Of Wren, denounced the road
! policy of the present court, and
his fellow delegates spplauded
him heartily. 1t was Mr.. Bryan
who said: ''You people are
spending enormous sums OF
money in improving roads. AND
WE HAVE NO ROADS. -
Yet, in the face of these known
facts, the Times brazenly takes
the stand that th=re has been no
complaint about the condition<ot
roads or the policy pursued by
the court in working these high
ways.
With its usual effroutery the
Times endeavors to hold the
road supervisors throughout the
county responsible tor the expen-
diture OF the $12, 540, which was
raised by special levy of S mills
for roads and bridges. Speak
ing for the present court. the
Times said, in its issue of Janu-
ary IA, 1903, "au additional levy
of five mills in the general fund
was levied for roads and bridges.
* * * This will give a total
of seven mills for roads and
bridges which will provide for
the greatest improvement of
roads that Benton county has
ever seem" This sum of $12,-
54S was in addition to the amount
($5, ,o1o) which was supplied by
the regular 2mlll road levy.
The latter sum ($5,o19) was ex-
pended by the various road super
visors, and it is generally agreed
that it was spent to good purpose.
But what of the $12, 548 that
was raised by the special 5-mill
levy to be expended under the
direction of the court? The spec
ial report compiled and printed
by order of that body in the local
papers in August, 1903, stated
that $12,513.55 of the amount
had been expended at that time.
So the statement made in these
columns recently that "The
money is gone" seems to have
official endorsement. Mr.. Bryan
and numerous substantial farmersf
are authority for the assertion
that 1--WE have no roads,"
Let us look at the Times con-
tention that the road supervisors
are to be held responsible tor the
of the court. Is Super
visor Cooper to blame for the
extravagant and Improbable ex-
pertinent made by the court in
his district? In the neighbor-
hood of $4,000 was spent, on one
mile of road between Corvallis
and Philomath, under the direc-
ton of the court and supervision
Of Overseer Gilbert, who was
paid a salary out of the county
exchequer. All who heard the
address Of DR.. Withycombe at
the picnic at Bellfountain last
Saturday, know that gentleman's
opinion of the mile of road in
question. His criticism was
more severe than any that has
in these columns. Yet
The Times attempts to have its
readers believe that all money
spent on roads has been handled
by the supervisors, and all the
has been judiciously and
wisely expended.
Had any supervisor anything
to do with the 800 OR $500 that
was spent on Stewards hill on
the Albany road? No. Overseer
Gilbert drew a salary from the
county for this work, also, and it
is anything but satisfactory.
Other instances could be cited
20 show the untruthtulnsss of the
Times statements, and the in
Justice it does the road supervis-
DIS by using them as scapegoats.