Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-05-19
Buffers Board Susta ins Heavy
Loss.
APPROPRIATION IS CUT
Because Money Not Spent in
Reserve.

the present county board, which is the
synonym for G. M. Butler of Sites,
Idaho, Idaho county finds in place of
the SIS, 5,945. 10, the sum received in
1909 from the forest reserve, just
$3,781.73, or shrinkage Of $12, 1887.
No, gentle reader, this is not be-
cause Of any large amount of the for
est reserve having been thrown open
to settlement, neither has the reserve
ceased to be the revenue producer of
years past but back of it all is a most
interesting story.
Of the revenues derive from the
forest reserves the government gives
per centage of the earning to the vari-
GUS counties wherein the reserves are
located. OF this sum "a per cent goes
to the road fund which is supposed to
be spent on roads and trails within
the confines Of the reserve. The re-
naming rs per cent goes to the school
fund of the county.
Last year Idaho county received
from this source the sum of $15, ,945. 10
rs per cent of this sum which is $11,-
958.83, should have been spent on the
mountain roads and trails but while
urged from time to time to carry out
the spirit of the law, the board, Mr..
Butler Of Sites, took matters in its
hands and spent very little Of the
money in the mountains
In the spring Of 1909 the people Of
the Elk City country and the Ten
Mile district headed movement to
build trail from that section to the
county seat This trail was on wat
er grade, following the South Fork a
most of the way.
The movement was gwen quite an
impetus, the government through the
forest service assisting in the building
and private subscription list being
circulated in Elk City, other mountain
district as well as Grangeville.
Mayor Fem of the forest service as
well as other prominent men met with
citizens from the country interested in
this city May 8 Of last year and the
county commissioners, who were in
session at that time, were called upon,
Major Fem and others explaining
how it would be possible and was only
fair for the board to make liberal ap-
preparation for the construction of the
trail.
Previous to that time the board had
shown in magnanimity by giving the
magnificent sum Of $500, not half the
cost the Sites road mac hinery. After
this visit $500 more was given and
later the board loosened again to the
tune Of 5000 making a total Of 81 900
for the building Of the trail received
from the county. This is Just the
amount of the contract for the piece
of road between Sites and Kooskia,
down in Mr.. Buffers territory. Of
course it should not be understood
that one thousand dollars will cover
cost of that piece of road between But
ler's town and Kooskia but the other
will come in in bills Of twenty, twen-
ty-fve and like sums fpr "labor."
At the time of the May meeting Of
last year Major Fem spoke to the
board in plain terms and advised them
that in case the money received from
the service was not spent on roads
within the reserve the probabilities
were that the amount would be cut
down and from the present indications
it seems the Major kne ew what he was
talking about.
Through the acts of the board Idaho
county finds itself with just $12,163.37
less money for roads than last year
OF course the chairman may have
made himself strong with his constitu
ents at Sites but does this recompenss
Idaho county?
| As man aptly put it the othe
day, perhaps the shortest cut to goot
roads in the mountains and elsewher'
is to move the country to the vicinity
of Sites, where road machiner,
, abounds, contracts are let and littl
, bills for "labor on the roads" are q
common as "niggers' on Mississippi
: steam boat.
( If the reader will 40 over the pre-
ceeding Of the board at the recen
injecting he will find $3.50 was allowe