East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-02-22
WASHINGTON AIDS
PACIFIC HIGHWAY

While good roads legislation in Or
egon has been disasterously debated
and much of it defeated the people
OF western Washington are preparing
to impose tax Of half mill for the
construction Of the Pacific highway
alone, says the Journal. The Pacific
highway in Washington is extended
from Blaine to Vancouver. Frank NJ
tretwell, secretary of the association,
who was in Portland yesterday. said
1t was believed the half mill would
raise $2640O0 which with the amounts
already subscribed and work already
done Will assure the highways con-
struction in Washington.
The plan for the Pacific highway
In Oregon has been that the road
should extend from the Columbia
river opposite Vancouver to the south
ern line Of Oregon. That the Pacific
highway plan might not interfere
with general good roads legislation,
promotion Of its construction was
dropped while the good roads bills
were before the legislature. Now that
the legislature has decided that Ore
o. NNf fN4DPii4Ni4N Slldll UOl Dt given
the impetus Of systematic roadmak-
ing, the plan for the making Of the
Pacific highway a trunk road through
the willamette valley will be vigor-
ously promoted, it is announced by
the committee of seven having the
matter in charge for Oregon.
What British Columbia Does.
Little has been heard recently from
the Pacific highway workers in Cali
fornia but the news comes from Can
ada that under the direction of Pre-
mier Richard Mcbride and Thomas
Taylor minister Of public works, the
British Columbia government has
made up a budget of expenses for
roads and bridge construction for the
coming year which covers a total ex-
penditure Of s4,107,4OO. This covers
the fiscal year from April l, 1911 to
March 81, 1912. This, when the pop
ulation Of the province of British Co.
lumbia is sconsidered-it is less than
4OO,OOO-means a large amount Of
money spent per capita as compared
to what is paid for road construction
in the United States.
The result is already in evidence.
British Columbia is building a system
of the finest highways in the world.
The three main expenditures for the
coming fiscal year will be on the
Canadian highway, the Pacific high
way and Vancouver Island roads.
No Bonds, All in Cash.
The remarkable feature of this ap-
preparation is that it is in actual cash
that all the work viii be paid for dur
ing the year and that no bonds will
be resorted to. This means that
every man, woman and child in Brit
ish Columbia is paying a per capita
tax Of s10.27 for highway improve
ment, and up to the present time
there has never been any charge of
excessive cost or any conflict of au-
thority in any particular in this de-
partment.
While mucn of the credit Is due to
Richard Mcbride and Good Roads
Taylor" as he is dubbed, the board of
trade and development organizations
generally, have backed these offici-
ais in an energetic manner in carry
ing out the present good roads policy.
II is readily conceded by all that IL
the Pacific coast states of California.
Oregon and Washington would spend
as much per capita as British Colum-
bia, the territory bordering on the
Pacific coast would be connected with
network Of great highways.