The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-08-11
The Need of Better Roads.

At least one simple constitutional
amendment that must be voted upon in
the coming election is worthy favor
able consideration. That is the change
which will enable counties to bond
themselves to build wagon roads. An
affirmative vote does not bond any
county, nor obliagte any interest.
By carrying this amendment, power
is granted the people to vote wagon
road bonds when they desire. At pre-
sent the limit of county indebtedness
is fixed at the arbitrary figure of $4,000,
except in case of insurrection or in
vasion by an enemy. No thought is
given to varying county requirements,
nor to relative abilities to bear debt
burdens. If the amendement proposed
carries, counties yet have this limit in
all cases expect to quell insurrection,
repell invasion, or to build permanent
roads within the county.
Roads are greater necessity with
every day of growth and prosperity.
Professor Maurice o. Eldridge pre-
sents in this issue figures which must
satisfy the most skeptical. 1t is a
bald, plain business proposition. Bad
roads mean strangled industries,
broken and worn vehicles prohibitive
haulage charges for cheap commodi-
ties, and barbarous stint of human
comfort in rural communities. We
must have roads, or give over the
pretense of modern progress. If Ore
gon does not make haste in new road
work, it will have to take an obscure
place among Western states, where
the road sentiment is developing
rapidly.
How other roads shall be built is
not fixed policy. BY enacting the
amendment desired to the Constitu-
tion. both county and state powers are
made available. With this amendment
in force, the full burden of local con-
struction can be left with each county,
as now, the state can be made to take
up all through or trunk work, or a
system of joint construction for
counties and state can be devised, as
| in Washington. Until the amendment
is adopted, the counties are eliminated
| for all effective cooperation what
ever. Construction of any comprehen-
sive system of roads is impossible al
satisfactory or economic pace, with
out incurring debts for the work, and
the counties can incur no debt worth
mention under present conditions.
In Washington the great trunk lines
are being constructed by the state
from general tax, while the
counties are also given state aid fol
purely local work of given specifica
tions. This plan has in it the strength
of centralized power, insuring quicker
action and greater uniformity, ano
eouipping the state with means fol
constructing in backward sections thai
might be disposed to leave weak linl
| in the chain. States should constrcu
trunk lines in such number as presen
or assured traffic warrants. And unless
the counties have an incentive, lik'
the Washington state-aid law, loca
work in many counties will lag TO
years.
In Oregon our first step is to paw
the way for such work as is decides
upon, and an affirmative vote for tn
contitutional amendments does that
Then the ways and means of construc
tion and maintenance must be de
termined quickly. The PHILIPPINE
Islands and many other backward
isolated regions are far ahead OF Ore
gon in modern road work. 1t is a
imputation under which we should no
be content to est.-Portland Tele
gram.