The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-03-24
Can address delivered at the Wash
ington Good Roads convention at
Aberdeen, February 1924, 1900

to obtain better results in securing
good roads than we have been able
to secure in the past. From the
best information / can obtain | find
there has already been enough
money spent making wild cat pre-
| liminary surveys, to have built many
miles of good roads, and we seem
no nearer a definite conclusion or
location than we were year ago.
/ The part assigned me in the reg
ular program is to present to you
''The Attitude of the State Grange
to the Good Roads Movement
! At the last annual meeting of the
/ Washington State Grange held in
Ellensburg, last June, the Good
Roads committee presented state
ment divided into articles and Sec
tions setting forth the Grange posi-
ton on good roads. 1t was adopted,
therefore no matter what the opinion
of any individual may be, this state
ment is the official statement of the
attitude of the State Grange on the
good roads movement. This pres
entation of the State Grange position
is short and submit it to you in full.
1t is as follows:
ARTICLE I.
Section /. That we favor township
organization with power to vote road
bonds. proceeds of the bond sales to
be expended in said district, and all
work amounting to $3.50 or more
may be let by contract to the lowest
reliable bidders, reserving the right
of the township to bid.
Sec. 2. That rural portions of
counties be granted the privilege now
enjoyed by cities to create improve
ment districts and to vote a long
time road bond.
ARTICLE II.
Section /. That the state estab-
lish a financial bureau for loaning
money at the lowest possible rate to
township and improvement road dis
tricts, as specified in Article /, Sec. l
and 2, to be used in building perma-
nent roads, and on such terms that
the annual road taxes would pay the
interest, and in due course of time,
the principal.
Sec 2. That when township or i'm
provement district has voted to bond,
it may at its option be permitted TO
! draw upon this fund, or financial bu-
reau, based upon certain amount
of its assessed value.
ARTICLE III.
Section /. That we are opposed to
state aid roads as pull and log
rolling" seems to be the main device
to obtain an appropriation. And fur
Their. that such appropriations, as a
rule, go to localities where assist
| ance is least needed
ARTICLE W.
Section /. That each road district
shall be allowed to select its own SUI
pervisor, and such supervisor should
be a practical road builder and should
be required to give bond.
Sec. 2. That the Grange endorse
| the movement for better roads in
the state of Washington and ask the
/ cooperation of Pomona Oranges and
ell subordinate oranges in the state,
to that end.
After considering very carefully all
that has been said for and against
our plan and in support of other
! plans, am convinced that the Grange
plan of local option by counties is
the best plan for road building. We
do not claim that this plan cannot
be improved in general detail, but
we do believe it to be fundamentally
sound in principle, and I very much
doubt if you will ever gain the con-
sent of the farmers of the state to
any proposition for road improve
ment that does not give to local gov
erning boards control over their own
roads. The principle of local self
government is fundamental to a
sound system of good roads construc-
ton and maintenance as in all other
matters in which the local interest
is paramount.
The governor admits that we can
never build our roads as they should
be built under the present plan. He
says further, that it has come to a
pass where the affairs of the state
cannot be administered as private
citizen or corporation would admin
lister his or its affairs. Public bust
ness is a scramble for spoils for pres
ent gain or party advantages, vul-
gar bargaining on the principle you
take this and I will take that. And
as result loyal executive or Off
cial honestly striving to serve the
people is harassed and thwarted at
every turn. To lift positively and
permanently the great work of road
improvement and maintenance from
the mire of such intolerab1e condi-
lions is one of the strongest argu-