The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-02-23

1t will probably be considered al
most sacriligious, for country man
to say so, but | think Bellingham is
entitled to county assistance in paw
ing the streets that connect with the
Guide Meridian, Northeast and North
west Diagonals.
Bellingham pays a large proportion
of the taxes of the county. She gets,
too, a large proportion of the bene-
fits from taxation. in fact ! often
think that she gets too large pro-
portion of the benefits. But, because
Belingham is at times hogishly sell
fish is no reason that We should try
to claim something that is not our
right.
| don't think any county road mon
ey should be used on Bellingham
streets that do not connect directly
with some county road of Importance
but. it is as important to the farmer
and to the. suburbanite that such
streets as do connect with county
roads be properly improved as 1t is to
the city property owner. | dare say
that many who like myself travelled
over the Guide Meridian in comfort
last summer, until they came 10 the
city streets, only to have all the en-
,ioyment of the ride spoiled for them
there. will agree with ME. 1t is easy
for us to say that Bellingham should
pave such streets as a matter of bus
mess, as trade inddcement They
should and without a doubt would.
if they could. Cities of the first class
cities of third and fourth class, or
as we'll as country districts. They may
Gond their cities if majority of the
population wants to for improvements
II but the debt limit is so small that it
is safe to say that there is no city
lbe size of Bellingham in the state
hut what has reached it. There is still
= another way by which they may make
Improvements create Improvement
districts and assess the cost of i'm
provements against the property bene-
fitted. This latter method is, the one
most generally used for paving streets
Though | don't know l dare say it
is the one by which Bellingham has
done all the paving done so far. But.
the total cost of the Improvement
must not be larger than certain
small per cent nor the value of the
property improved. And, while l don't
know the exact per cent nor the
value of property leading to the Guide
Meridian, l would be willing to stake
my reputation that it is absolutely
an Improvement district with suffi-
cient valuation to warrant a good
pavement to the city limits. Il the
street is to be paved within yours ~
my life time, the county must nelp
bear the expense.
We want good roads into Belling-
ham as much as Bellingham wants
us to have them. We ought to be will
ing to pay our share to get them. J
believe the country people should
make it plain to the county commits
sioners that they want those Belling-
ham streets improved even if the
county does have to pay portion IF
the cost of Improvement.
Make your neighbor welcome to all
that he has, and you will be surprised
at the generosity he will develope.
suppose the Tribune may have
and express its opinions without en-
barrassing the United States govern
ment. At least let us hope so, for it
is my opinion that there are those
in this country, who perhaps are high
in power, who will not be at all sat
isfied until the United States is drawn
into this muss in Mexico.
You see until a few years ago our
country was an awfully conservative
republic. We condemned old mother
England, and Spain and Germany and
others for their constant efforts to
extend their territory. Once in our
righteous indignation we warned them
all to keep their hands off of any
thing in this hemisphere. At the time
the Munroe doctrine was first pro-
mulgated our sister republics on this
continent and in South America did
lot of rejoicing-they had big
brother who would protect them.
Well, are they still rejoicing? Don't
you reckon that good many of
them are little bit afraid of the big
brother? You know We have never
said much in this country about how
we got hold of the Panama strip
You know it would be very conven-
lent for us to have land connections
with that Panama canal l wouldn't
wonder If We would get them. How?
Oh by treaty, of course, l wouldn't
suggest for moment that We would
go to war to get the connecting ink