Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-04-14
MONEY WASTED ON ROADS
A Mining Man Gives Good Ideas
on Road Building.

Courier: While the road question is
prominently before the people l should
like to add few remarks IN regard TO
prospective new roads and TO enter my
protest against throwing away any
more money opening unnecessary new
roads. The county is already over
burdened with old roads that are prac-
tically impossible to anything but a
veteran burro for several months each
year. OLD roads that have been in
constant use % or 80 years upon which
enough money has been expended to
Gravel and macadamize from end to
end and yet the teamster and traveller
of today is still worrying with the
same impossible grades and heart
breaking mud holes that ere the bane
of the pioneer generation ago. Sure
ly this is not very brilliant showing
for one of onr most important public
works at this day and age. when al
most every line of art and industry
has been completely revolutionized
over and over again.
Now in view Of our past experience
with a system of road building that is
costly, wasteful and hopelessly iuad.
equate to furnish permanent relief, l
think it is time to stop and see if we
cannot apply some Of the results Of
modern road engineering in solving a
question that is and must remain the
most important factor in any country's
development. We all realize that the
task of road building is no child's play
in any country and in our sparsely set
tied country even with all its adyan-
tages of timber and gravel it is stu
pendous one, and with our best efforts
portions Of our districts must put up
with makeshift roads for some time
to come.
But the realization Of that fact is
no reason why we should not grapple
with this question in a sensible, bust
ness manner, to the end that while
keeping open our present lines Of COM
munication at the least possible ex-
pense we could be applying the bulk of
the road money to the equipment Of a
standard, permanent road each year
And in order to do this properly most
of our permanent road building should
be done ON new and easier grades, In
other words start right. The railroads
realize the necessity of starting right,
and in dealing with the transportation
question, which is no more important
to them than it is to US, they employ
the highest degree Of skill that money
can procure in surnlounting and tax
ing advantage of natural obstacles,
and in modern railway practice are
eliminating, almost regardless Of ex-
pense, heavy grades, sharp curves.
etc, knowing that their constant tax
on transportation will soon outweigh
their primary cost.
/ have in mind certain case that
will we'll illustrate this point as ap.
piled to wagon roads. The road from
Leland to Placer. a distance OF eight
miles, which the usual shortsighted
private policy has placed upon the
hillside. The transportation of one
piece of machinery weighing three tons
Ca moderate load and days work for
an ordinary four horse team cost 1885,,
tax in this instance OF over $l75.
And for further illustration we will
add only 80 per cent as the present cost
over good roads, which is very low
estimate, multiply this by a Yeas
traffic and this by the years the roads
have been in use and the magnitude OF
our road tax begins to dawn upon us,
not to speak of the direct tax and vol
unteer work, or the social and conven-
lent side of the question whereby our
farmer families are practically isolated
months at stretch by bad roads. and
such thing as comfort or safety on
them winter or summer is unknown.
II is but a question of time when
every county will receive, as it should,
national and state aid in road building.
Let US not wait, but rather anticipate
the advantages OF that time by laying
good foundation upon which to work.
Lay aside that short sighted interest
that ohases the road up hill around
your alfalfa lot, or out Of the way tC
your dooryard. Let the route be Be-
lected and laid out by thoroughly ex'
perienced men as carefully as rail
road. with due regard to grade, drain
age and equipment, such as experience
has shown best adapted to locality.
Should it damage valuable ground pay
for it, don't expect your farmer
friends to bear all the expense for they
already carry more than their share oi
the burdens of country's development
and If favors are shown in any way by
all means let it be in favor Of tile res
ident owner. A public highway is 1
public asset, benefitting directly al
property in its district and indirectly
every business in the county.
Avoid opening unnecessary new
roads and spend as little as possible 70
repairs on temporary roads, chang
roads to standard route as fast as con
venient and have some permanent roa,
built every year.
1t is the system, or rather the lacI
Of it. not our supervisors that is a
fault; give them standard grade,
definite system to work to aud eve
with our present tax and road equip
ment thpy can make "A show inc tha