Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-05-04
THE GOOD ROADS PROBLEM
An Act Of the Last Legislature Solves
This Perplexing Question.
The Matter to be Discussed at the Next
Meeting Of the Farmers Asso-
ciation.

AT the next meeting Of the Jer-
ONE branch of the Canal Users As
sociation, which will occur Satur-
day, May 18th, matter will be
taken up and discussed that should
appeal 10 every farmer ~ well as
business man in this section, who
has any interest at all in the ques-
ton of good roads, and we infer
that this means every resident in
this vicinity, who, we trust, will
manifest his interest by attendance
at this meeting.
The question of building roads in
any new community is one Of the
most perplexing problems to deal
with. Heretofore we have had to
depend upon direct taxation for
this purpose, in addition to a small
poll tax collected. The work has
been allotted out to inexperienced
persons and the result has been
that, in many eases, the money
thus collected has fallen far short
of accomplishing the objects in
tended
One Of the last acts Of the legisla-
ture was Ia pass an act 10 provide
for the organization and govern
ment of highway districts, which
act was approved March Sth, 1911.
Section of this act provides that
Whenever fifty or more OF the
holders of title or evidence of title
to lands wholly within the limits Of
single county, and aggregating
not less than twenty Thousand acres
of contiguous territory, desire Ia
provide for the organization of the
came rs highway district under
this act; Provided that said hold
ers of title or evidence OF title shall
hold such title or evidence of title
to at least one-tenth part Of the
total area of the land in the pro-
posed district which will be assessa-
BILE for the purposes of the district
Or such organization may be pro-
posed and such petition signed by a
number of adult residents within
the proposed district equal Ia n
least twenty per cent of the aggre-
gate of all the votes east for COVER
nor at the election precincts within
such proposed district at the las
general election.
Upon the presentation oi such a pc
tition To the county commissioners
special election shall be held b,
the residents of such proposed dis
trict. and if the result of such election
: be favorable, the board shall proceed
at once to the organization of sucl
district, the affairs of which will b
governed by highway commission
of three members, the first commits
| sion to he appointed 10y the Govern
= or of the state, To hold office fou
D years, after which they will be elect
e ed by the citizens of the district
e 1t il the duty of this board I
. appoint a highway director, VIII
: must be skilled and experienced i
. the building and maintenance
t highways.
= To provide funds for the purcha'
of machinery, tools, etc, and III
construction and maintenance of I'll
highways in this district, the boar
: is empowered To issue bonds To Il
II amount of ten per cent of the a
sessed valuation of the propert
' within said district, which shall |
u known as highway bonds, the pr
J. cecds from the sale of said bonds
" he devoted exclusively to the buil'
!, ing and improvement of the roa'
II in that specified district only.
As comparison of what can
!" done in road building under tn
: system, imagine n district emhra
- ing "a, 1000 acres surrounding Je
y rome. A conservative estimate {
the assessed valuation would he N
less than 81 ,00O,0O0. On ten p
~ cent basis this would yield reven'
!" " of something like slW,UOO. Wi
- rock as accessible as il is in I'll
section, it is estimated that q
he work of macadamizing the roa
I'd through the sand would not exec