The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-06-23

| Nations very small percentage of i'm
| proved roads is due largely to a fall
ure to give consideration to them.
Millions of money have been wasted
in building roads which local condi-
tons made impracticable and out of
all cost proportion to the county's
revenue.
Alabama Succeeds.
There are exceptions to all rules,
however, and Pike county, Alabama,
stands as glittering exception to the
usual construction blunder. There
the county officials had planned to
eXpend a large sum in the building of
gravel roads.
Use Sand Clay.
| w. l.. Spoon, United State Super
| intendent of Road Construction, be-
i ing sent to make an inspection of the
county's road possibilities, learned
that zoo miles of important routes
needed improvement. He figured
| that the cost of gravel roads would
, be $4,000 a mile-plainly sum
greater than the county could be
bonded for. Conditions, however,
were ideal for sand-clay construction
and he strongly urged it's adoption.
BY a legal proviso the county could
be bonded for only IL per centum
of the assessed value of the real and
personal property. The plan was de-
cided upon and an issue of $143,000
was voted. One hundred thousand
dollars worth of the bonds were
quickly sold, being disposed of in
$4,000 allotments.
Bonds at Premium.
The first allotment brought a prem
ium of 1925 and the second one of
1925. Forty thousand dollars was at
once spent for mules and road build
ing machinery and work was started
Done in Two Years.
With the sum remaining, 11S miles
of the finest sand-cIay roads in the
south had been built within two years
from the date of the bond issue: a
generous sum was still on hand: eight
gangs were at work, and the people
were so pleased that they stood ready
to take up the remaining issue of
$4,000 and eXpend it in the same
way.
1t is the belief of the Director of the
Office of Public Roads that such facts
should be impressed upon the people
of all counties DESTROYS of extending
and improving their highways before
actual work is under way. When that
has been done, he is warmly in IA
vor of the raising of funds by issuing
county bonds with the restrictions
wich the Virginia Highway Law i'm
poses, viz: that all moneys so raised
shall be spent under the watchful
supervision 70 a tate Highway Com
missioner, because otherwise the
money may be wasted.
Bond Not to be Feared.
Many farmers fear bond issue as
they do the visit of the chinch bug
or the Kansas grasshopper, but the
benefits they derive from that method
of raising money for road improve
ment are far-reaching and immediate,
while the individual tax on each is so
small that it is scarcely noticeable. In
reality, borrowing money through the
sale of road bonds is like buying a
house, farm, or a business on the in
stallment plan. The purchaser re-
ceives the object at once and derives
the benefits from it while paying for
it. AS the benefits derived from per-
fected highways cover long periods of
time, fairness and equity demand that
the rising generation shall bear por-
ton of the cost and that the increased
citizenship, always attracted to the To-
cality by system of good roads,
should also aid in paying for the ad-
ded benefits.
Besides that, there is financial
wisdom in floating county bonds for
road Improvement In many cases
those bonds sell at a premium. and
everybody interested gains a benefit.
In some southern states good road
bonds have brought a price so high
that the premium has wiped out two
or three years interest on the princi-
pal. In Bradley county, Tennessee,
but few years ago the supervisors
voted bond issue of $4,000. Those
bonds bore interest at the rate of five
per cent. So enthusiastic We're the
citizens for road improvement, and
so lIlucH commence u1u tney nave IN
| the locality in which they lived, that
the premium was $4,000; the cash
sales placing in the county treasury
$4,000.
Roads Enhance Property.
! 1t has been ascertained by the Of
| flee of Public Roads, the Bureau of
the Federal Census, and the land and
industrial divisions of twelve great
| railroads, that the building of modern
highways Immediately enhances the
value of the property through which
| they run to a marked extent. This
| increase is estimated by the most
conservative at 50 an acre, and by the
more enthusiastic at 50. All con-
cede, however, that the increase is
/ immediate and inevitable. Place the
acreage of the rural portion of a
county, therefore, at 100000 acres
and the increased valuation due to
the construction of better highways at
but $3.50 an acre, and It will be seen
| that the property holders whose land
| is to be thus benefited would gain