The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-07-03
PLAN TO
HANDLE BONDS
Committee of Good Roads A.
sociation Takes Action at
Meeting Held Thursday
BASE BONDS ON VALUATION
AND SPEND ACCORDINGLY

Highway Commissioned to
Supervise Spending Of Money
on Radiating System
A plan to insure equitable ex-
penditure Of a million dollar bond
issue for a system Of roads in Yakima
county was approved by the commit
tee appointed at tn recent meeting to
organize Yakima County Good
Roads association, and the plan will
now be taken to the people of the
various districts in the county for APP
prevail before proceeding further with
the campaign for the bond issue.
The meeting of the committee was
opened Thursday morning at the
Commercial club rooms, continued
during the noon hour at the Com
mercial hotel and again during the
afternoon until o'clock.
The meeting was called to order by
w. p. Sawyer of Parker Station, who
was elected chairman of the commit
tee at the last meeting. Mr.. Sawyer
Then read a paper, in which he gave
sta tistics as to the probable increase
of valuation Of assessable property in
the county. At the end of the 20-year
period of the bonds. he estimated, the
assessed valuation of the county
would have reached $40,000,000, and
the average tax required to pay OF
the bond issue would be about las
mills, much less than is now being
paid for road taxes. A further recon-
mendation by Mr.. Sawyer was the ap-
pointment of three commissioners to
serve without pay other than actual
expenses, to act as an auditing board,
who would o. k. each proposed road
contract before 1t was let by the
county commissioners. Mi3i
The discussion precipitated by MI.
Sawyer's recommendations lasted
during the remainder of the day, all
possible objections to various plans
being taken up in detail and thresned
out. The final result of the days de-
Tiberations was substantially contained
in four motions. leading to definite
action by the committee.
! Base Bonds on Valuation
/ 1t was first agreed that the bond
issue should be made on the basis #
dSScSStu
in the county.
j District County
1t was decided to appoint a CON-
mittee of FIVE men to proceed with
the districting G. the county. Ac-
cording to the road law, which was
frequently referred to during the
meeting, it is possible to have not
more than "a road districts in the
county. The exact number of districts
| to be formed was not voted upon, but
| it was the concensus of opinion that
as many as possible should be created
for the purpose of making the as
semhly of delegates from the districts
as representative as possible.
| This committee is also to determine
the assessed valuation of each of the
districts into which the county Is
divided, and to apportion to each dis
trict the Tart of the million dollar
bond issue which would be spent
therein on the basis OF the valuation.
Hold Mass Meetings
! The next step proposed is to or
ganize the people of each district most
interested In the matter, particularly
the ranchers who use the roads most
for hauling their stuff to markets 1t
is proposed to hold in each district a
mass m meeting. At the mass meeting a
delegate will be selected to represent
Il the district at an assembly to be held
later.
! Another matter to be taken up at
the meeting will be the selection If
the roads which the people of the
district want to be improved by thei'
share of the bond issue.
! Choose Highway Commission
| The essential feature Of the whole
plan is the selection of highway
commission. of three men, according
to the suggestion of Mr.. Sawyer.
| The discussion as to the legality OF
such a commission, and their possible
legal authority, lasted for several
hours. and was finally concluded with
the decision that although the law
does not specifically provide for such
a commission, 1t does not forbid IT.,
and that the recognition Of such a
commission by the county commits
sioners would give it sufficient legal
status to enable 1t to exercise the re-
quired supervision over the expendi-
ture of the fund.
All other proposed methods of Sc
iecting this commission Of three men
were rejected in favor of the plan OF
having an assembly Of delegates from
the district meetings select them, and
the assembly will be called together
for that purpose as soon as the dis
trict organizations can be effected.
| Included in the motion to have the
commissioners selected was a pro-
vision in favor of having the candi-
dates for the ONCE of county commits
sioner. as far as possible, pledge them
selves to the recognition of the COM
mission If elected. thus providing
against a contingency which might
arise in case the county officials chose
to disregard such a commission.
/ Members Present
| The members of the committee
| present at the meeting Thursday
were: w. p. Sawyer of Parker. chair
man; Charles F. Bailey OF Granger
secretary: W w Butler. A NJ. Murfin
apd D. y DAlrympie or Grandview