The San Francisco call., 1910-10-23

Editor Call: On Tuesday, november D,
the electors of California will have an
opportunity to vote on the question OF
bonding the state for SIS 100000 with
which to construct a system of good
roads to be owned and maintained by
the state. This is the most important
question ever submitted to the electors
Of California, and If it carries there
will be constructed a system of state
highways running through our valleys
and along our coast. connecting the
different counties which will add
greatly to the wealth of our state and
save annually millions of dollars In
the transportation of the products Of
our soil.
An association known as the cali
fornia good roads association, with
Mr. J. NJ. Eddy acting as its secretary
and chief inspiration, and about Its only
member. has started an opposition to
this proposed bond issue and through
its said secretary has caused a circular
to be printed setting forth II reasons
why the people should defeat 1t, and
has also interested some of the news
papers of the state TO oppose IT. L
understand when the so called associa-
tion met to adopt Mr.. Eddy objections
there were only three members present,
that being a quorum.
In February, 1909, during the session
OF the last legislature, Mr.. Eddy and a
committee from said association came
TO my office and presented to me a
highway bill which 1t had prepared and
wanted me to assist In passing 1t
through the legislatures I read 1t over
and soon saw that 1t would never 90.
It was poorly drawn, full Of imper-
fections. unsatisfactory in every way,
and would not accomplish the much
desired result. II provided for COM
of rPc6lX6
large salaries and it seemed to me
that this was the most essential and
most important feature of the bill, and
l thought I could see prospective appll-
cants for the jobs created by this Dill
if il became a law. ] informed the COM
mittee that I had been giving the ques-
tion of good roads considerable study;
that I did not approve their bill, but
would meet with them on the follow
ing Tuesday and discuss the matter.
On Tuesday only one member OF the
committee appeared.
In the meantime the bill prepared
by the association was introduced In
the senate and was, of course, never
considered or acted upon. With the
assistance of the attorney general the
bill presenting to the people the propc.
sition of bonding the state was pre-
pared and IL contains all that is neces-
sary and proper to enable the electors
of this state to pass on the question
Of bonding the state for SIS 10000 with
which to construct a state highawy-
The first question to decide is whether
or not the people desire a system of
good roads in this state. to be owned
by the state and maintained and con-
trolIed by il. If they do and shall so
declare by their votes then all legis-
lation necessary 20 construct such roads
and maintain them can be enacted by
the incoming legislature.
The bill proposing the bond issue is
not intended to provide for everything
that might possibly arise in the future
to have so attempted would haye
been foolish. The principal purpose is
to provide the means of building the
roads. and the manner and methods of
so doing can be settled by the legis-
lature from time to time as occasion
may require.
I call attention to some of the objec-
tions made by Mr.. Eddy, and which are
being published in some of the papers,
to show how frivolous they are:
FIRsT-He says: "The proposed bill
threatens to create a vast machine with
an army of employees, with the ever
present danger that 1t Will be used for
partisan purposes, notwithstanding
that the people will have bonded them
selves for so years to create it" 1t is
true that a system of highways can
not be built by one man, but must be
If Mr. Eddy's fears that these men
may be used for political purposes is
good reason to defeat the much
needed highway system. then 1t is a
sufficient reason to defeat the. bonds
for improving the water front of San
Francisco. Il would have been q good
reason against constructing the Panama
I1Qn not
public improvement that a state or the
nation may desire to undertake where
many men are to be employed.
sECOND-He says: "The department
of engineering consists of the governor
of the state and several appointees of
the governor. This department is,
therefore, disqualified by it's partisan
construction and by the many other
duties and responsibilities assigned to
it, to have charge of so important an
undertaking as the expenditure of
$4,000 900 on roads, and the upkeep
Of thousands of miles of public high
ways"
If the people of the state can not
trust its governor and its engineering
department to take charge of the con-
struction Of its highways then the
offices should be abolished. The COVER
nor is elected directly by the people and
is responsible to them for his admins
tration. Every year he handles mill
lions of their money in carrying on the
affairs of state. No one has greater
responsibilities and feels them more
keenly than does the governor of the
state. And the argument made by
Mr.. Eddy that the governor is dis
qualified from partisan reasons is too
absurd to call for any answer, and to
say the least is not a compliment to
the incoming governor The Panama
canal is being constructed by the presi-
dent of the United States under the
sIInervisinn Of his war denarfrnenf and