Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-29
CHAMBER Of COMM ERCE
OPPOSES ROADS BONDS
Resolution Disappearing Governor
GiIIett's $18,0o0,0O0 I'M
provement Plan Adopted

Governor Gillett's $1S,O00,00O state
road bond proposition is not favored
by the Los Angeles chamber of COM
merce. At an adjourned meeting Of
the directors Friday night it was
turned down, a report from the COM
mittee on parks, bouleVards and roads
disappearing it having been unani-
mously adopted. The reports follow:
your committee on parks, boule-
wards and roads begS leave to report
as follows on the bonding of the state
for $4,000, 900 for the purpose of build
ing a system of state highways. Our
report is against the voting of these
bonds for the following reasons:
"First-There is no definite plan to
show where the highways are to be
built and what method of construction
is to be followed. This matter, so es-
sential to those who are to make use
of them and to take care of them af-
terward does not appear to have been
considered at all. 1t is left to the
state official to devise a new plan and
to dovetail this into the old system of
county highways to the best of his in
dividual ability.
NO SAFEGUARDS PROVIDED
"Second-There is no provision in this
act for the maintenance of these road
ways when built. To eXpend $1S,00O,-
900 without safeguarding the results of
such expenditures, that is, to construct
a costly system of highways without
means to keep it in repair, must APP
peal to anyone as an unsound and
careless proposition and one that
ought to be materially amended be-
fore it is taken under consideration.
"Third-Many difficulties will arise
because of the intercounty relations
which state highway construction in
wolves, and for these no solution is Of
fered that, in the act as printed in the
Statutes of 1907 there is found only
the most general reference to compen-
sation, right of way and acceptance
in the matter of those county roads
that have been permanently improved
and which form a part of the present
highway system.
'Fourth-The county of Los Angeles
has already been bonded for the sum
of $780, 900 for the purpose of building
a system of roads within the county
and they are now being constructed.
If the proposed $18,000,QO0 for state
construction is carried this county
will be obliged to pay about quarter
of this amount.
GIVES POWER TO GOVERNOR
I'm this bond issue they are provid
in the governor, for he will appoint all
the members of the board of engineers
and examiners and for fifty years we
are prevented from repeating it, be-
cause the bonds run for fifty years and
it states that expressly in the law.
1.-THE question is, are the people of
California ready to vote $1S,000,0OO to
put this into effect, when we know in
advance it will be failure, and which
is unlike anything adopted anywhere
else, and will not help the great pro-
ducing interests of the state single
dollar, and with this power centering
in the governor will build up another
political bureau for the purpose of
making appointments not for merit,
but for political purposes only.
your committee deems it very i'm
portant that your honorable body take
action at once against this measure
and through the press let the people
know your attitude, 50 that they may
be intelligently informed before cast
ing their votes on November 8.
Respectfully submitted
IS. A. BUTLER,
"Acting Chairman"