The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-03-24
Don't Sign the Petition.

.amsnt ~ to better the condition
n0s0 y M roads as the need is 80 evi.
q o.ss ~ bsre that it needs no discus
@sn' eson Recently, however, peti
s;ons slon have been circulated calling
ol snecial election to create
y, .s district under the new law.
1yss 1U,s movement is ill-advised for
sayeral reasons.
. community ! to take entire charge
u @ \ roads, il that it will have the
!, .,,iviIsoe Of bonding, if necessary,
IA thus making more intensive
;s,rnv,royament sr than would be pos
IN .;bIa under the old law, when the
.osd fund was distributed over the
comfy an, and little chance given for
community effort. For instance,
s,onnd Meridian the farmers can
oroauise a district, improve the
,osds to such an extent as may be
dsemed proper and have the en-
tire say OF how mucn ana Wnere
tbe money is expended.
The proposed district, however,
takes in practically the whole
county, and this is bad feature.
Id means that the real value of
,tba law to us will be destroyed.
Superyision Of the roads will be
taken from the county commits
siouers and road overReers and
mt into the hands of three men,
Who are to serve without pay, and
vet will be expected to give the
needs Of the various parts of the
Bio district individual attention.
This commission will have its own
expert and clerical assistance.
The county already has q COM
plete organization, including a
county attorney and three com
missioners, elected this term on
the good roads issue, that is, each
was pledged to extra effort in get
ting the roads in better shape.
Chairman Crawford resides in the
country near Meridian, and he
knows and appreciates the bad
condition OF the roads. Commits
sioner Packenham is also a level
beaded farmer Their administra-
ton has just started and the time
has not arrived to determine
whether they have made good
or not.
Now what sane reason is there
for putting practically the entire
county in so-called road discrict,
thus taking the control out of the
county commissioners hands, and
hiring other legal talentP Why
also pay out $500 just now for a
special election when this amount
would pay for a King drag over
some of the worst roads for a sea-
son? Why, also, does the gov
ernor of the state appoint the first
road commission under this law
while subsequent boards are ap.
pointed by the county commits,
aionersf Why not the GrstP
aThere is reason" and it is
necessary to refer back to two
months ago, when q demand was
made on the county commissioners
by McCready Sykes and other
members of the Boise Commercial
club to appoint a road expert, who
had been brought out from the
east.by the club, for the purpose
The county commissioners inves.
tigated the merits of the man
we're not fully satisfied, and de.
clinsd to appoint, stating that
they did not authorize his coming
TO Idaho, anyway.
This was a disappointment tc
the committee and certain mem
bers decided to take advantage O
the sentiment for good roads anc
through a legislative act, to ge
even with the commissioners o
Ada, a,county. The bill was intro
aucsd and, having merit, wa
passed. The provisions of til,
law will work out all right for re
afleted districts, but in this case
taking in nearly the whole county
Will simply place a burden on th
people. The expense will b
aeavy, and the present working
force will be replaced by ne,
men, with no assurance that the,
Will aoe superior in any particular
10 sum it up, the people ar
asked, in order to pay even for
shght to certain individuals, t
sske the roads out of the hands Q
tnfse persons and put them in tn
nanes of three others. There i
40 politics in this whole busiues:
outat occurs to the Times that
man can be good official and be
.epaolican at the same time. VIII
snen have a democratic governo
appoint three persons to do th
p.a rIR We have already eleote
others to performp
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hazel hafrell'S PARTY,