The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-01-02

Our Public Roads And
How To Improve Them

ssVV ~ ssssp wv uuuVouu
Editor islander :-"Bill Nye" in
one of his first lectures on country
roads called them 'The public mud
hole on which the farmer met once
each year and made mud pies." for q
tew days and waded through them the
rest of the year.
Now when the country roads are re-
ceiving more than their just share of
abuse. when the plans for the next
years road work are being laid. and
the road ''boss" Is seeking appoint
ment. take it an opportune time to
say few words about roacs In gen.
eral and local roads and conditions in
particular.
The extract from the above quoted
wit was in every way justified. and
the farmer fell into serious disrepute
as road builder and the old rule of
each man working out his road tax,
was superseded by the one in vogue ut
the present time. l believe that the
present law is the ''worst ever" as
the slang phrase goes. We did our
work under the old law as unframed
roadmakers who we're more or less
interested in the roads we we're build
ing. Now the work is done by still
unframed laborers who have no in
terest in their work. under "boss"
who. l am sorry to say. uses what in
fuence he has to get the roads built
in his vicinity, with no care for other
sections farther than the getting Of
siRners to his petition for re-appoint-
ment
Another of the most fragrant abuses
of the present system is the county
surveyors work His expenses cut
the heart out of our road fund and
when be and his crew 90 through the
woods at an average expense of twen-
ty dollars or more, day, surely that
should settle that roadway. or at least.
the engineering expenses thereon for
all time: but to my certain know
ledge the county surveyor and his
crew have gone over the same road
three, and even five times. and the road
boss and bis crew did public work
making q passable roadway in q new
place as many times, and each time
the right of way was changed not more
than half the width of itself. Better
far to have followed the spotted calf
for three centuries. We surely have
gone to the opposite extreme and the
end is not yet.
Another point that l can't help
mentioning is the showing of the road
ways upon. and over the hills. when
the natural place for them is In the
bottom of the valleys. Many of US
valley dwellers have to load accord
ing to the grade we have to climb to
reach the public road. In this valley
building, the ditchlng of the land
adjacent would more than pay for the
surfacing of the road with crushed
rock or the next best article. which
we have in abundance. ce.-shale.
Then, where do our roads start from,
and where do they end? To borrow
an expression from Holmes, ] will say
that "My friend the professor says"
that they start at private graft at
one end of the island and 90 to pri-
yate graft at the other end. touching
at all the intervening gratis along
the way. Now. this Is putting the
matter up in a somewhat sarcastic
vein, but it is too cruelty true.
The wise provisions in our laws.
whereby the county commissioners
may build wharves for the puolic con-
venlerce is fallen out of use or entire
" set aside az not worth considering.
On navieable rivers, drawbridRes
must be built and an attendant hired.
even if boat comes along but once
a week. But wharf building by the
county seems never to have entered
the heads of our county fathers, even
here where all We eat. wear and sell.
Injuries and necessities, pass the pri-
vate toll house.
Now. I have no private crouch in
this. but the idea Of having to 90 over
private property at the end OF pub
lie highway approaches the ridiculous
in country where the Fourth Of July
orator tells as We we're born free and
independent citizens ] believe the
road system should be taken out OF
politics and placed under Civil Ser
vice rules. that our roadmakers should
be under the supervision Of educsted
that natural Rradea
lcoatianed On Page Fivel