Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-02-12

making the Eola road district share
70 70 SUI such fund. sS7s26, s1,O59s2 and
H,726.sS for such period.
During the past year the oourt an
propriated $500 for the grading and m
travelling Of the Hogg hill; $50 for
travelling upon the Wallace road. q
SIlali amount for drain pipe and
blasting powder, and the salary Of
the road supervisors at $3.50 ner
uay during the actual time he had
men working under him. l feel GER
'aln that the expenditures have been
considerable less than the district
levy During the year 1910, a steel
pridge was erected across the Pick
reall' near I. W. Brunk's place. and
NIL made there that cost about
$1,000. This, with the drainage nine
purchased about equals the lew.
leaVing the salary of the road super-
visor to come out of the funds from
other districts. For three years pre-
Vlous to that, there were no expend-
''ures' from the general fund, of any
great amount within the district
would also call attention to the dis
trict levies previous to the year 1909
which average about 5000 per year.
or about $40 per mile annually upon
the present road mileage; there be-
ing over 60 miles of road in the dis.
trict.
That the roads Of Polk county are
not only being maintained. but grad.
ually and certainly improved with
such expenditures is certainly re-
markable Just think of It: The
main roads in Polk county being grad.
ually built up with an expenditure
that amounts to from two to three
per cent upon the amount the bond
advocates would spend in building
the same amount of roads; this ex-
penditure for one-hfth Of our roads;
while the annual mileage expendi-
lures for the other four-afths of our
roads, equals one-hfth Of one per
cent upon $4,000, the sum the high
cost advocates wish to spend in
building a mile OF road Because
under the present system, with a
meager mole-hill of funds, necessar
lily spent, almost exclusively for re-
pair and maintenance work; that we
have not accomplished mountain of
permanently lasting results, the high
cost road advocates from our cities.
are clamOring that we step aside;
and that they be furnished a noun
tain of funds, from bond issues; and
that they can accomplish more than
a mole-hill Of results. Yet, Judging
from the report of the two and one
half million dollars, bond expendi-
lures, upon the roads in Los .Ange-
les county, California, as being vast
ed; and also that about $2,OOO,OOO
out Of $6,OOO,OOO that was spent for
street paving, in the city of Portland
last year, was wasted; although ex-
pended under the supervision and di-
rection of an expert high priced en-
gineer; 1t is very doubtful IL we
would get more than mole-hilI Of
results from mountain Of expendi- |
lures under such plan
The report about the road expend- |
lures in Los Angeles county, Cali |
fornia, and the street paving of Port |
land, Oregon, has been CLEANED from |
the Oregon Journal, which is advo- |
eating the bonding system Of build !
ing roads.
In concluding this article, ! wish to
the good work of the road
supervisor; and the county court of
Polk county, and possibly Yamhlll
county also; the counties where re-
suits are being accomplished with
little means, through quiet steady,
persistent efforts, and not through
efforts Of those busy
bodies that peddle hot air road im-