Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-04-08
UAMOR FOR
COUNTY ROADS
Is Met With Financial Condi-
items that Confront
Commissioners
RECKLESSNESS, PERHAPS
Present Board Confronted
With Depleted Treasury
May Take Action

MONTESANO, April 7.-(Special }
That the immediate development of
Chehalis county demands immediate te
road building will be evident to any
one attending the sessions of the
board of county commissioners. The
requests, petitions and demands
from all quarters simply appall the
commissioners. They are so plainly
required, and the finances so pitifully
small, that believe me, | would on
those occasions rather be news
paper correspondent than a county
commissioner.
Take the case of the North River
settlers that was up before the board
today. Harvey Cabot appeared before
the board and asked for the building
of this road; he showed that set.
tiers had already donated over $500
and said that $1,000 more could be
raised to build a plank road, the es.
timated cost of which is about $16,-
&C.,
The commissioners have taken a
wise stand against any more plank
roads. but Mr., Cabot assured them
that a rock bed was on the route
that could be used to make a per.
manent highway. The only objec.
ton in the way of aiding this road
was the fact that just before the
elections last fall, in anticipation
doutbless of the election of Commits
sioner Locke, the funds Of this dis
trfct were depleted-or dissipated
Anyhow they vanished into thin air.
And, while air may be all right for
auto tires, it will not build roads,
Mr.. Cabot told the board all about
the fertile valley of North River, and
how it should be supplying Grays
Harbor with produce instead of Cali
fOrnia and Oregon, but, he got no.
where. There was no money.
In Commissioner Fishels district
little money was left, and road
~ miles long will be built west from
Humptulips, measure that has long
been needed.
All kinds of propositions calling
for money come before the board.
This morning petition, signed by
school teachers and many others, ask
ing for the use of the county poor
farm for an experimental station, was
presented, and it is a safe assump.
ton that not one out of ten of the
a2Eners could give an approximate
guess as to what the cost would be
per annum. if it was granted. And,
20 we go. Glamour foc expendi-
tures and growl about taxes. The
wonder to me is how you get any
body to serve as county commission
or at all. He is damned il he don't,
and doubly damned If he does.
There are appeals for money that
simply have to be allowed, and one
OF them was today, when Rev. Chas.
4cDermoth, of Aberdeen, directed at
tention to the condition of John Sea-
borg of Aberdeen. Seaborg is an
aged fisherman who lives in house
boat on the Aberdeen waterfront. He
has lived on Grays Harbor nearl,
thirty years, and is almost incapacit.
ated. He was allowed $40 a month.
The only other case of loosening
up by the board today was the al
lOwance of 500 for the expenses of
the county physician in attending the
state convention at Spokane
Tomorrow many of us hope the
board will feel inclined to loosen up
and make a proper appropriation for
the Chehalis county fair. to be held
at Elma. There is no question as
to the worthiness of the expenditure,
and. as this does not come from the
road fund, it is confidently believed
here tonight that the fair will re.
ceive as substantial support as the
commissioners feel the county can
afford.
But; and the great BUT that faces
the county commissioners is the
shortage of cash. Estimates for this
year were made by the old board and
the new one is helpless. If the clamor
for money continues, it should be
accompanied by a willingness to pay
It. In other words, when a person
signs a petition asking for county
money, they should signify their
knowledge of what it was going to
cost and their ability and willing
ness to pay their share of it.