The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-01-11
MASON SUGGESTS
PLAN FOR BONDING

An open letter TO our County Judge !:
Mr.. Geo. ID. Culbertson, County Judge
Hood River County.
Dear Sir:-l have Just received one
of your circular letters asking the
voters of Hood River County TO express
their opinion upon the advisability of
bonding our county to build permanent
roads and a public dock.
AS this is a matter that needs care
ful consideration before making de-
cision and full and free public dis
cusslon will do no harm, hence | write
this open letter.
Had We law to control and guide
the expenditure of our money derived
from bonds, so as to guarantee to the
taxpayers that every dollar would be
judleiously expended, then we would
be perfectly willing to urge the calling
of this election Just as soon as the
courts give you the power to do 50.
Personally, ! can see no argument
against the system of bonding for
building roads, if we can get some
laws to protect both the public and the
county officials who handle the money.
The four road bills passed bv the last
Legislature and vetoed by the governor
gave this, but as you well know we
now have no law giving this protection
even If the jackson County test is won
by the county. In proof of this, per-
NIT me to relate a little incident.
While attending the State Convention
of County Commissioners held in Port
land few days ago, one of the high
way board of business men appointed
by the Jackson County court, to spend
their one and one half million dollars
of lands on permanent road work,
called me to one side, introduced him
self, and began something like this,
/ only wish we had law like the one
you fellows are initiating or one simi-
lar to it. We have no way to protect
the public from graft nor to prevent
censure upon our acts. :" This man
realizes that the expenditure of 81, 5OO,-
900 on roads carries with it great re-
sponsibility and so does the handling
of this sinking fund. Their bonds are
for 20 years. The sinking fund will
have to begin about the end of the
fifth year.
Then. to raise 81 500, 900 in Is years,
means that Sl00, 600 must be deposited
annually in the hands of the county
treasurer. The sum of 500, 600 for Is
years, 5000, 900 for IA years, $500, 600
for l3 years. and so on down the line
means something.
My dear voter, do you realize that
this offers an opportunity Tor graft?
Our distinguished jurist, Judge Lind.
say, tells US CAS- long as you dangle
privilege before greedy eyes you may
expect political corruption, for privi-
lege is the beast. But you say, the
county court can protect the sinking
fund. True, it may try to, but you
wi have several county courts before
the sinking fund is used to pay off
these bonds, and then sometimes sink
ing funds are loaned to political friends
who run small banks and then some
times we find public money deposited
as private accounts. For an illustra-
tion of this look at the recent exposure
of some of Multnomah county's officials
who are now on the gridiron for graft
ing interest on public deposits.
| sincerely hope the jackson county
bond issue will be declared illegal. if
the calling of our election depends
upon its legality. 1t will only be one
year until we will have some laws to
guide ana protect the use of money
derived by bonds for permanent roads.
The state grange of Oregon is initiat-
ing two road bills, one creating a state
highway engineering department and
the other providing for counties to
bond for permanent road improvement.
and there will be no opportunity for
governor to veto either of them.
So in the face of all this danger in
spending our money injudiciously and
permitting our sinking funds to be
used for personal emoluments, think
it advisable to wait until after our
next annual election. Whether this
county bonds or not, the grange initi-
ative bonding act will become law
Immediately after the ballots are
counted next November. The people
of Oregon are not going to be fooled
any longer by few will 'o-the- wisp
road politicians of Portland.
In regard to building a $10.0 public