The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1912-03-29
OPPOSED TO THE
STATE AID DEAL
BARRETT SHOWS BY FIGURES
HOW COUNTY WOULD LOSE.
Means Paying Large Sum
for State Supervision Of Pub
lie Road Construction.

The county Good Roads Association
held meeting in Pendleton Saturday,
which was we'll attended. There was
considerable discussion participated
10 by a number of speakers, among
whom was G. A. Barrett of this CITY.
The state aid proposition came in for
warm airing. and the question was
handled without equivocation or
gloves.
Mr.. Barrett seems to have struck
the key note of the meeting, when
in his speech as reported in the Pen
dleton Live Wire ho said:
"Ihe Harmony Committee recon-
mends the bonding of the state for
$10.000,000 instead of $40. 900
as at lrst proposed. One-third OF this
sum is to be reserved to the state, and
in the hands of the State Highway
Commission. One-half of this third
will be expended in one congressional
district and the other half in the
other congressional district. 1t is
doubtful if any Of this will help Una
tilla county. The other two thirds of
the $10.000.000 will be divided
among the 38 counties 'Multnomah
being excluded Umatilla receiving
approximately $202, 900.
n "Umatilla county would pay into
the state fund twentieth Of the
$i0.000.000 or $500. 900. and will be
obliged to levy $202. 900 additional
and the interest over period of 10
years at per cent would amount TO
over 800, 1000, making total of about
$757, 900, of which about half, or
100000 would be available for the
purposes of road building in the coun-
ty, and this sum under state super
vision.
"Therefoie, this county would be
paying the state commission OF over
$3.50, 900 to supervise the road work.
Not only this, but the people would
have no voice as to where or how
these roads should be built or the
money expended. Based on the esti-
mate of cost Of roads under state sup
efvision, the lowest. which ia $4,000
per mile. this fund would build only
| so miles OF road, for which the county
will have paid at the expiration of the
10 years over $3.50. 900. or at the rate
of nearly $4,000 per mile.
Surely the taxpayers of this coun-
ty cannot afford to aud will not will
ingly contribute this bonus over 1850
600, to tho state for state supervision,
and the qualification of the various
visionary schemes of the governors
State Wido Highway Committee.
"The point attempted to be made
that only under state aid can the CITY
property be taxed ia not we'll taken,
as under the county unit plan and
the county bonding act all property
will bear it's prouortion of tax.
"Now let us consider this matter of
Umatilla county bonding for $500. 900
an equal amount to be sold over per-
iod Of 10 years, or $4,000 per year at
per cent interest. At the expiration
of 10 years we will have issued bonds
aggregating 100000 in amount and
the interost upon the same will have
been $137. 500, making a total of
$637 800.
Now. under the supervision OF the
county court with competent super
intendent of roads we should build our
roads al cost not to exceed $500 per
mile. This 100000 will construct
40 miles Of good maoadam Ionds from
the state line below Freewater via
FTeewater- NJ Milton- Weston A thena and
Adams to Pendleton. with branches
from Havana station to Helix. and
also from Pendletou to Hermiston via
-Stan6eld to Umatilla. Also
from Pendleton to Ukiah via Pilot
Rock and Alba, and we would have
$1,000 to expend on iranch roads.
Surely from business standpoint
Umatilla county aarE0t afford To favor
state aid or state super vision, II
Portland and the Willamette valley
wish to tuild automobile roads from
Portland to the California line. then
let them pay for them entirely, but
to tax Eastern Oregon to construct
such roads 10 Unjust and will not be
approved by the taxpayers.
Not in Roundup Class.