Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1907-03-05
Corvallis, Ore,
March Ist, 70 7.

I wish space in your columns
to say to my constituents
throughout this entire county,
that in keeping with my prom
ise as made during tine last cam
paign l did prepare and introduce
a bill looking to the systematic
ing and permanent improvement
of our main roads through sys-
tenn OF state aid together with
county aid, somewhat in line
with the idea advanced by me in
my remarks on this subject in
said campaign. This provides that
the state should aid to the extent
of one-third and the county to
the extent of another one-third
of the cost of such permanent i'm
provements upon our main hi igh-
ways, and that the property hold
ers in the districts along the lines
of such main highways SO sought
to be improved to pay the re-
naming one-third; provided that
such district should include the
lands lying two miles on either
side of such road to be SO improv-
ed and one mile beyond its ter
minus. 1t also provided that dis
interested board of viewers should
be appointed to apportion the
benefits and proportionate part
such resident land owners should
pay Of their one-third of the
whole cost thereof, also that they
should have six years in which
to pay the same, one-sixth to be
paid each year with interest at a
rate TO be fixed by the county
court but which should in no in
stance exceed six per cent; and
also provided that a majority of
the resident land owners must
petition the county court be-
tore any snch permanent road
building could be undertaken
and thus be made a charge
against their lands for one-third
of such cost. There are many
other splendid features and safe
guards throughout the bill and I
am sure if l had the space to fully
explain it that there could be all,
in fact l have yet to find the first
one who does not approve it
when they thoroughly under
stand its provisions. But while l
was forced to sacrifice the greater
pat of my time during the en-
tire session to this measure il
order to secure its passage, and
was thus prevented from giving
some other matters the attention
that they should have had at my
hands and in many instances
such time as I should have liked
to have given them, still l
, thought and still think this mea-
sure of such great Importance to
our people in general and to the
ugbuilding of our state and es-
, pecially to the welfare and ad-
!; vancement of our farming classes
to whom we in this state owe our
ultimate prosperity, we being an
agricultural and stock-growing
state as we are, that it was my
lduty when once undertaking to
father such an important meas.
ure, to devote if necessary my
whole and undivided attentio q
to ii even though it should mean
that 1 rust sacrifice individual
effort in all other matters in ordel
to secure its passage. Aud acting
2 Ealong these lines I was unable t,
accomplish much else with ths
exception of looking after th'
interests of our great state in
stitution the Estate Agriculture
> College" of which we are al
proud.
But I must confess tha
1 am greatly disappointed AM
!, personally feel hurt to see th
governor vetoithis measure (Sen
ate Bill No. o6) not SO msch O
): account of my personal effort bu
on account of the great loss t
our people and the state in ger
,. eral by the further postponing {
> this most needed forward step
permanent road building; au
a while I was in an indirect wa
threatened with this veto coul