Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-12-29
FARM 1R zL!s!' ORCHARD
Nos ana Instructions from Agricultural COLLEGES and Experiment Ssoon
OF Oregon and Washington Speedily Suitable to Pacific Coaa Condiao

Vldlng for the creation of a State
highway Commission whose chairman
shall be the Professor of Highway
Engineering at the Agricultural and
Mechanical College, the other men,
bers being the Professor of Civil En-
gineering at the State University and
one civilian to be appointed by the
governor. These members serve with
out pay, and appoint a State Highway
Engineer at $4,000 a year to design,
construct and maintain highways. The
bill will undoubtedly pass if it has
not already done so.
Oklahoma must have settlers, and
she, too, has advertised and sent her
literature to the ends of the earth,
but she has found that she must
nave roads to get the immigration.
A Highway Department was created
by the last legislature consisting of
Highway Commissioner to be ap-
pointed by the governor, and State
Highway Engineer to be appointed by
the commissioner. This department
has recently been organized, and con-
siderable work is under way.
The last Louisiana legislature Gre
ated the office of State Highway En-
glneer to be appointed by the State
Board OF Engineers. His authority is
to be absolute, and his salary has
been fixed at $4,000 year. Louisiana
had long thought she was too poor to
afford the luxury of better roads, but
Governor Sanders succeeded in con-
vincing the voters that it took a very
RI of ha 80 Lox
roads. The question of special tax
for the construction of State Aid
roads was submitted to the people Of
the state at the last general election
and carried by big majority.
What is the matter with Kansas" ?"
She needs settlers, too, and she is
getting them. Kansas has no state
highway department, but the legisla-
ture makes special appropriation
for the employment of a Highway
Engineer at the Agricultural College
who acts in the capacity of consult
ing engineer for the entire state. No
one is legally obliged to follow his
advice, but they usually accept it the
first time, and invariably the second
time 1t Is offered. AS in all states
where there is no central authority in
full charge, the roads are not being
improved very fast, but considerable
good work is being DONE
To come nearer home, California
has just appointed State Highway
Engineer at salary of $4,000 a year,
and has given him s1S,O00,000 to spend
on the highways. Our neighbor on
the south will soon have good roads.
Washington already has a State High
way Department, trifle disfigured
after last winters battle, but still in
the ring. A great deal of criticism
was directed at the department, but,
with few exceptions, it is difficult to
find well-built stretch of road in
the state that was not built under
the direct supervision of this office.
Canada is not making much noise
about it, but she is building roads
nevertheless, and many and loud are
the walls along our northern bound
aries on account of the number of
our neighbors who are leaving for
Our Lady of the Shows"
What are we going to do about it?
There are but two ways open. We
can keep on fighting over petty, in
significant details while the other
states get the men and the money, or
we can unite and make start under
some system, depending on advancing
laler. 1t is up to the people Of
! Oregon.