The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-09-21
CONVENTIONS ACTION
SCORED BY MASON

The recent State Good Road Conven-
ton held in Portland, has performed its
work, and it is now up to the leeisia-
ture to look wise and compare the rec
concentrations of this convention with
their own bills passed at the last legis-
lature and vetoed by the Governor.
might state here that the road bills
were the product of 90 men elected by
the people of Oregon. The recommend
ations of the recent State Good Road
Convention is the product of Is out of
SO men appointed by the Governor to
formulate future road laws for Ore
gon. There were Is men present who
voted on these recommendation 10
for. 8 against-and | believe that my
| most bitter enemies in our county will
say that | did right when they fully
| understand both sides of this contro-
versy. gave my support to the
/ minority report which was postponed
indefinitely by the Is against 1t.
Il Without going into details at present,
| will only insert the principal features
of the two reports.
The majority report has asked for a
one and 2-l0 mill annual tax levy.
which will raise little over 81, 200, 900
per year, and in order to use this the
several counties in the state must put
up another $1,000. 900 per year. In
addition to this the report asks for 80
wear State bonds to the amount Of
$2. .OO0. 900 annually until we have
issued 500, 900, 900. If all of this was
in force we would be spending 81, 900,
900 annually.
But who selects the roads upon
which this vast amount is to be spentY
None other but the state Highway
Commission Gust one man unless he
has some friends to assist him without
pay). OF course he would not be
bothered CD with such assistance CD.
After robbing the County Courts and
Surveyor of any powers in expendlng
this vast sum they then say in a
County Bonding Act, of almost III
lines. that they can call an election to
vote county bonds for roads and do as
they please with it. No confidence OF
powers in one. and all in another.
Consistency, Oh thou art peach,
A County Court can not even repair
mud hole in any of the roads buil'
py any of this 81, 900, 900 ordered to dc
SO by the State Highway Gar.
Friends, this is following in the line
of our sister State of Washington if
the way of State and Good Road laws
They had them once, but knocked then
: out at the last Legislature. 1t simply
> rent the State into three or four polit
I ica road factions. Are we SO blint
that none can see? Are we so foolisl
as to want TO mortgage our County
State and Homes and not know before
hand where and how our money is t
be spent? | don't blieve We are.
The minority report of this Conven
tion embodied two bills: One creating
the Office OF State Highway Engineer
/. giving him educational, judicial AM
approval powers only, and stroni
County Bonding Act, giving the peopl
the power TO select the roads upol
which their money is to be spent. lonI
before the vote upon thesissulng o
bonds.
Time forbids me going into detail
j If these two bills now, but suffice I
= saw that the State Grange of Orego
will initiate them at our next genera
. election. You will have ample time
study them. In the meantime W
should mot let prejudice or haste 10
good roads get US into an everlastin
Good Road disgrace as has alread
happened in the States of New Yori
California and Washington.
The closer to the people you kee
the expenditure of large sums of pul
lie money the more likely we are
get the worth of our money and tn
hetter satisfied we are.
The majority (l5 men) of this Legl
lative(?) State Good Road Conventio
has asked for an etxra session OF tn
Legislature which will cost the Stat
from SIS, 900 to $25, 600, to make SON
better (?) road laws than they d
before. | voted NO.
They gave us four good road Law
last winter and the Governor vetoe
them to satisfy few of the Portlar
Rule or Ruin fellows. What assuran,
II have we that the same will not
repeated? None. Yours sincerely,
= A. |. Maso