Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-09-28
LINN HAS
PLAN FOR
THE ROADS
WOULD HAVE MAN IN EACH
ROAD DISTRICT EMPLOYED
STEADILY IN REPAIRING,
FILLING CHUCK HOLES, RE-
MOVING ROCKS, ETC.

The patrol system for the up-keep
of the public roads throughout the
county and the extension of the
same system throughout the state is
the idea of J. r. Linn, of the firm
of Catlin & Linn and a petition will
be presented to the coutny court
during the present session asking
for the cooperation of the county
government with the farmers with
that end in view.
This system is in effect in some
parts of Europe and has been sue
cessfully practiced since the days of
Napoleon Bonaparte to the end that
the public highways of France are
today in a high state of preservation,
and Mr.. Linn, who is the prime
mover in the matter of the introduce
ton of the system in Oregon, be-
lieves that it will result in the solu-
ton of the country road problem,
which has been one of the chief
drawbacks to the progress and pros
perity of the state Of Oregon and is
about as near solution at the pres
ent time as it was two-score years
ago.
MY proposition is" said Mr..
Linn, in discussing his plan which
will be presented to the county
court this week, "to have the county
employ a man regularly in each
road district with a wheelbarrow
pick and shovel to patrol four or
five miles of the road and whenever
he finds a rut or chuck-hole, to fill
it up with gravel or crushed rock
At the present time the county is
paying numerous road supervisors
SO to 81 per day, during certain per-
iods Of the year to work up the
roads in their respective districts
and the taxpayers are paying out
their good money to no apparent
good purpose, because there are on
ly certain seasons of the year when
any work can be performed upon the
roads and then it is Of such an in
ferior character that it had better
be left undone
eff the county would employ a
man in each road district in the
county at $50 or $50 per month, to
patrol the public highway every day
of the year and, whenever he finds
tn 10
it up with a good quality Of gravel
or crushed rock, which should be
distributed over the districts in
piles and easy of access to the pa
trolman, it is my opinion that the
roads of the county and state could
be maintained in a perfect state CT
preservation and would rebound to
the everlasting benefit of all con-
cerred and the taxpayers would find
their taxes for public road upkeep
and improvement materially re-
duced. have talked the matter
over with scores of farmers in the
county and have not found a single
person that does not endorse the
proposition and will support it If
adopted by the county court"
1t is understood that County
Judge Bushey and Commissioners
Goulet and Beckwith, comprising
the county court. are in harmony
with the movement and, if salts
factory expression and petition is re-
ceived from the taxpayers of the
county, it will mean the adoption of
a system of road improvement in
Marion county, at least, that will
prove effective and productive Of
good results and the lead of Marion
county may be followed out by the
other counties of the state to the
end that the movement will become
statewide and organized in a sys-
tematic manner.