Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-12-22
GRANTS PASS PAYS
NO COUNTY ROAD TAX
Evades II Through Unconstitu-
tional Clause in Charter
Injustice on Farmers.

After trial for nearly 80 years of
a system Of construction that has in
that period, involved the expenditure
OF fully S5CO. 600 and not given to Jo-
sephine county one mile of road that
is capable Of standing heavy traffic
during the Winter Judge J. o. Booth
and Commissioners @. +. LoNelsce
and J.T. Logan have decided to ADOPT
for this county the system, that has
been demonstrated in the Eastern
States as the only practical method OF
roadwork, and which is giving Jack
son. Marion, Clackamas, Multnomsh
and the other progressive counties OF
Oregon, roads that are mudless in
Winter and dustless in Summer and
which will bear up as heavy freight
wagon in January as in July.
This matter will be taken up fol-
final action at the January term OF
county court and if the progressive
element Of the county ask for it the
strict cash system will be adopted.
This will involve the employment OF
road master and crew Of men and
teams and an equipment of up-to-date
road machinery. 1t will also involve
big decrease in the number Of super
visors, the few that will be employed
will only have charge of repair work
under the direction of the road mas.
ter. Under the present system the
supervisors salaries is one of the big
gest items in the road expense. This
saving in expense will pay the road
masters salary and leave goodly
sum to be applied in actual road
work.
Under this new system it will be
necessary to put the reads on pefma-
nent locations, if not already there,
cut out all heavy grades and elimi-
nate all uphill pulls in order to get
to 20 down hill thereby proving that
the potbail is no longer " hen horizon
tai than when perpel dicular. What
road is bUilt have it permanent tc
last for all time to come, with but a
minimum of repair expense, and work
on the worst aId most needed sections
first. The road master to be the work
ing foreman Of the read crew, and not
to wear gloves and do the gentleman
act, and 10 be man capable of hand
ling men and of operating a rocB
crusher, grader and a steam roller,
and of keeping the machinery in
working order and of having knowl-
edge of road construction that will
bring practical results. The road
crew to be hired by the month, anC
when man does not do full day -
work of 10 hours, as he would on &
farm or in a factory, fire him ant
hire another man. Have a camp out
ft aud mess wagon that the crew viii
be at home wherever their work may
be.
But all this change from antiquatt
to modern road methods depends Oh
whether Grants Pass will help the
people of the country bear the ex
peDse, or continue as in the past tC
hold good roads conventions, do tnt
talking and worh up lots Of enthu
siasm for the benefit of the farmers
and then not pay dollar into the
county road fund. Grants Pass en-
joys the distinction and the discrt diI
of being the only town in Oregon
that does not lay county road AK
This is accomplished through a C aust
In the city charter exmempting the
city from this tax, Such IA clause is
unconstitutional for the constitution
OF the state of Oregon and of the
United States explicitly Iequires Il al
all taxes be levied alike and uniform
on property having similar benet (,
and protection. Grants Pass is "a
much legal part of Josephine county
as is the towns Of Kerby or Merlin,
or the precinits of Williams, OF
Galice and the city can not eyad,
paying its share Of the county taxes.
If such class legislation is legal then
the city could as we'll have its charter
further amended and throw the entire
burden of the county expense on the
country precincts. Portland. which
pays nearly one third of the state X,
could have its charter amended and
eliminate that big expense. Were the
example of Grants Pass followed out
tn its full sequence the entire buId. Il
of the state and county expenses
would be thrown ON the farms aud
other property outside of the iucor-
porated towns.
We're the roads leading to Grant,
Pass closed absolutely to travel 1t
would not be six months until this
city would be dismal waste OF empty
houses and deserted streets. We're II
possible to have maoadamiz d, within
the coming year. Every road over
which trade can be had for Grants
rass it would bring u prosperity to
this city that would double its wealth