Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-08-11

Oregon must be awakened to the necessity of doing Soe
thing to help solve the Good Roads Problem,
States all around Oregon are building State Highways and
employing convict labor on a large scale.
Washington is spending S 100000 this year building
main state highways connecting all principal citIeS'
In Washington the State pays Onehalf The cost of
Structng main county highways that are up to certain
standard OF construction
On top Of all this Washington working 400 convcts on
the highways
California is constructing magnificent highways under
state supervision,
Oregon must be aroused to action fall behind in the
race OF development.
This is not theory but hard cold fact that oonfronts the
am in favor of adopting State Highway policy and will
send in special message to the legislature demanding that
the first bill to pass the legislature shall be State Highway
bill.
The first bill to go through the legislature in January should
be bill put the state government back Of the Good Roads
problem
The State should take charge Of the main state highways
and keep them in smooth andtraveng condition
There is no reason why with few guards and COM
peen superintendent force OF ConWCtS could not keep the
main state highways from Portland to Ashland in good CON
dlton tor ave all the year around Nothing but State
supervision will do that
More good results can be got out of taking care of the
roads we now have than by any other expenditure,
AS fast as possible with all means that are available let the
State and Counties build permanent highways but in the
meantime let us get the largest use of the highways we have
That can be accomplished by intelligent caetaking of
present hlghWayS1
State Supervision alone accomplish this for the main
state highways that extend across one or more counties.
What would develop Western Oregon more than good
smooth State Highway from Sam for instance to the SeZ
country and Newport via Falls City, or such road from
Salem to Tllamook, open all the year around
You may say It can't be done,
say other states doing these things and Oregon must
awaken on these lines or fall behind in the race for develop
ment
Take the tax paid by the automobeS-noW nearly 5000
the state and paying three dollars each state license fee
$4,000 In all for the right to use the state highways
The state could buy nearly ten thousand barrels of crude
oil with this money furnish to the counties that would agree
to put on the main highways, and make smooth clean
dusteSS roads than in any other way.
All the county would have to buy would be two oil Sprnk
point on the railroad and the county would put the oil on the
road
NuInomah county is putting oil on hundred miles of road
and makes good Summeroad and does well for eight
months in the year and even improves the roads in the wet
season.
But we must adopt state supervision and state aid in SoN
inc the highway problem and repeat the first bill that should
90 through the Legislature should be state highway bl for
State Commissioner to be named by the Governor, with
power to employ convict labor and in place OF paTdOnng
many prisoners make them useful to the state by working their
time on the state highways.
Oregon is coming to the front with railroads. with fruit
and umber industries, our cities are building rapidly and
we are well advertised but We are a lame duck when il
comes to the state doing ANYTHING for the highways
When lit is fact that not over ten TO twenty-five percent
OF the traffic over the main state highways is local. must
appear that there is duty devOpng on the state to bear
its share OF the cost and maintenance OF these highways.
The counties should be relieved from the burden of tuu-
Shng the main highways tor the whole state TO use, as