Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1909-01-15
Editorial Column,
BONDING THE STATE FOR ROADS.

Governor Gillets message to the legislature is sensible
and business like document In nearly all of its recommend
ations it will doubtless with general approval There
is important particular upon which public opinion will
be divided namely the proposition to bond the state for
large for the purpose of building state highways. 1t
is proposed issue $Soooooo of ongerm bonds to con-
sruct highways throughout the statee main arteries of
travel The construction be under the direction of experts
in roadbulding thereby nsurng the best roads possible
under the conditions existing in the different portions of the
The idea that the state shall take OF the prn
cpa of the bonds but the annual interest shall be borne by
the countries through which these state highways pass we
presume pro according the mileage of each county
The plan may appear alluring many Indeed notice
in some counties proposition is being discussed enthus
asticay with determination to capture many miles of
road under state control possible AS tar as Amador
is concerned it by no clear whether the plan offers
much advantage 1t looks encng for the state to put up
the money build model highways There is practically
unlimited behind the state and matter what the
the roads would be built scientific principles Then
there another prevalent but very notion to the
effect that when road is thus constructed will stay built
the annual of keeping the in repair will be
parativey trifng this true the whole road problem
would be simpihed if solved But far from being
true No of what material the highway is construct
ed the subsequent maintenance is the most important
factor be taken into consideration We may talk of turn
piking and all that but the fact remains that the road will
not stay turnpked, macadamzed, without very
heavy outlay.
Suppose the Amador wagon road made state high
wayor the road from the Costumes to heokelumne river
certainly these the only thoroughfares this county that
would should stand any chance of being thus distinguish
ed The taxpayers would only be called upon pay for
keeping road in repair they doing, but also
the annual interest the pro of bonds issued
for original construction In other words the benefit held
Amador people would consist of possible superior
struction work under competent supervision.
It is very doubtful whether bonding proposition of this
kind would carry Certainly the in the large cities
who would receive direct benefit from the money
raised would favor it. They would be called upon pay
larger share OF the for the redemption fund, and
themselves upon the indirect benefits that would
from improved roads Neither will the scheme take in
many sparsey settled interior counties like Amador distant
from the large centers of population.
The lesson from experience Amador county decidedly
against running in debt for roads 1t is tanamount to
admission that the county unable raise money sufficient
to pay running expenses, for road maintenance and
struction long established community be classed
with running expenses For years have been raising the
limit for road purposes spending between $4,000 and $780,
900 annually for the highways And the of on
ion is that have been getting value for the money
What has become of the agitation pronounced few
months ago radical changes in the road laws take
them of the hands of the supervisors That prac
cal commendabe agitation promising material benefit
But scheme divide the responsibility between the
and local authorities by ping up bonded indebtedness,
seems like drifting from bad to