Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-05-12
aINDIREcT" ROAD TAX.

"INDIRECT" ROAD TAX.
II the roads dry up in time the Ia
kilma smelter will start mp June lst,
and If the fail rains do not set in
early, it will run until October LIST, a
period OF four months out Of the u
months of the year. Bat If there
should be wet June, as has been
known in Southern Oregon, then the
Takilma smelter will not start until
July LIST, or whenever the rains cease
Then if there should be an early fall
and September be wet month, the
first of that month would witness the
closing of the smelter, so it is possible
that the run Of the Takilma smelter
may be shortened full month at
either end of the season. Thus Is one
of the biggest industrial establish.
ments in Southern Oregon, one that
directly and indirectly puts into circu-
lation more money than any any other
mining enterprise in this section, shut
down for two-thirds Of the year by
reason Of mud roads
The financial loss that Josephine
county sustains by the annual shut
down of the Takilma smelter is one Of
the "indIrect road taxes" spoken Of
at the recent good roads convention in
Grants Pass, that the taxpayers of this
county have 10 bear. The indirect
road tax, which is all loss and no
gain, is one of the heaviest burdens
that the miners, farmers and business
mon of Josephine county have to bear
II falls on all alike. The farmer
pays IL when he has to stop his fall
work to do his marketing and get in
his winter supplies before the roads
become muddy. The average farmer
loses "a month of time each year, in
the best season for his farm work, in
doing hauling that he could better do
In the winter months when he has no
other work to do and the markets are
at their best. The miner pays this in
direct road tax when during the wet
season he pays from double to -four
times the price for his hauling that he
paid daring the dry season The mer-
chant pays at II low estimate 10 por
cent indirect road tax upon his stock
of goods in the loss Of trado that he
sustains by reason Of bad roads. The
general shutdown of mines, saw
mills, aud the "holoing up" like
bears, of the farmers at their homes
during the mud blockade Of each win.
ter, causes loss of trade to the mor-
chant that makes his indirect road tax
exceed that of all his othor taxes, rents
aud insurance.
An instance of the high rate of tax.
alton that this indirect road tax lsvies
on the industries Of Josephine county
is that of the Takilma Smelter Com.
pauy. During the past winter that
company paid SEQ ton for having
ventilator plant and their necessary
supplies hauled to their mine. 1t took
Capt Molntyre's G-mulo teams five
days to mako the round trip and then
the mules had to rest from one 10 two
days before thoy were able to go on
the road again. Tho same freight
could be hauled in the dry season for
- ton and the froightor would have
made more money at that low price
than at the practically prohibitiyo
price Of SEQ per ton Ihis indirect
road tax could be decreased 80 per ecnt
II the roads OF Josephine county were
relocated, where necessary, aud all
heavy grades eliminated aud the road
bed thoroughly drained and made i'm.
peryious to rains by rolling with u 10 |
or Cotton roller, We're there oven an
earth road, we'll graded. drained "a d
rolled, between Takilma aud Grants
Pass, the big smelter at the former
place could have blown-i in so soon as
the heaVy rains ceased carly this .
spring and 100 men and 80 teams would
have had one to two.months more work
than is now possible. SGoh rood
would lead to the smoltor company in.
oreasing its expenditures for ore aud
operating expenses fully 20 per cent,
aud AN Cqnal increase IN the volume
Of business would como to all other
Industries that are dependent on
over this road
THE indirect road tax that the peo.
pie of Josephine county pay each year,
together with the loss that is sustained
by reason OF unduyeloped business.
would amount TO a sum that Ia dy,
iears would build u complete system
n earth roads for tho county that
would be passnb.e eight mouths oi III,
'ear to loaded teams Aud five years
uore Of this Indirect road tax would
nacadamiao .all the. Ice ding road, Of
osephiu county