The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-06-18

from advocates OF the old systems
OF making roads that the men
handling the new roAd.mRklng ina.
chiuery were Incompetent and did
not understand their business Up
on investigation Il was found that
some mistakes had been made In
tho beginning OF the work. but In
our Judgment the county now has
an efficient crew OF men handling
the road machinery. aud they are
! making rapid progress In the con
struction OF permanent roads along
the most improved methods.
The jury believes that the system
OF permanent roads planned for
King county will. when completed
provide this county with the best
system of good roads that can be
found anywhere upon the Pacific
coast. and that by reason 81 these
permanent roads through the coun.
try districts the values % land adj
Joining these roads will be rapidly
enhanced SO that our road fund can
be materially increased each year
without increasing our present tar
rate.
In planning the permanent roads.
the engineering department found
Il necessary In few places 20 find
new routes In order 20 eliminate
sharp curves and heavy grades
These new routes have brought
forth some complaint from farmers
whose present buildings will no, b.
upon the new road but these com.
plants have all been Investigated.
and the jury believes that the new
routes selected BY the engineering
department are better for perm.
ansnt roads than tho existing
routes.
Within tho past two years the
county commissioners have pur.
chased --- gravel plta In the
south district and ------- gravel pits
In the north district at n total cos,
OF s.. These gravel pits wc
think are now worth many times
the amount paid for them In one
pit. known IA tho Calhoun pit. 10
Gated near Kent. wash. the gravel
has been discovered TO be OF poor
quality. after having been worked
for a few months Before this pit
was purchased. however. Il vas
thoroughly examined and n report
was made 10 the commissioners
that Il contained gravel OF high
quality Tho county now owns n
sufficient quantity of gravel which
IL accessible To last for many years
TO come. besides owning the finest
rock quarry In King county. located
near North Bend. This quarry com.
prises % acres OF rock which has
been pronounced by expert en-.
giueers 10 be OF excellent quality for
use as a foundation for permanent
roads The permanent roads which
have been and are now being con.
structed in the south district are
nearly all In the extreme south end
OF the district; while the trunk
roads Just outside the city limits.
are among the poorest roads I'm tho
county. and In the outskirts OF the
city OF Seattle the streets that con.
meet with the main county roads arc
In a deplorable condition. The np-
parent reason for this r. due to the
I lack OF cooperation between the
county commissioner OF King coun-
IS and the street commissioners Of
the city council OF the city 81 So.
attic: and for this condition both
bodies are equally to blame.
We believe that II would cost the
county much Icss 20 have all roads.
| bridges and buildings constructed
I BY private contract rather than by
the present system. and we recon-
mend tina, this change be made at
once, particularly In view OF the
fact tina. so much money 10 soon 10
be expended In the county work. Il
beInq clear 20 the Jury tina, a bet.
ter check can be kept upon the pub
Tic moneys in that way than under
the present system.
cLApp DOCK SITE DEAL.
This property. containing -
acres was purchased by King coun.
~ on the 2Gth da OF October. 1912.
from Mr.. !. VI. Clapp. at the price Of
ss7. 400. After examining many wit
nessea. the jury finds that this piece
OF ground ia we'll situated for n
4 dock site and that the price paid
therefor was n reasonable one. II
was discovered by the jury that Mr.
Clapp began negotiations with the
state Of Washington for the pur.
chase Of this property in the year
1907. while he was In tho govern.
ment service. Associated with him
I'm this deal was Mr.. A. Bystrom.
who NJ that time was n confidential
empIoye Of the state land commits.
aloner's office Of tho State Of Wash.
lnRton. where he 50 used his lnflu.
cnce that practically no money was
paid 10 apply upon the purchase
price ~ this land until tho 18TH day
~ August, 1919. when ~ 500 so was
paid To the state. and the balance
~ approximately st4.35T30. was
paid 10 the state on the 7lh day OF
October. 1919. making the total cost
OF the land approximately ft9,17G 80
which includes tho amounts paid by
them to upland owners for prefer
ence rights The same day that Mr.
Clapp received his warrant from
King county for ss7 400. he paid "a
Mr.. ByRtrom slt 900. that sum being
Mr. ByHtrom'g proportion ~ tho
profits OF n deal wherein. we arc
satisfied. he never invested dollar
At the same time Mr. Clapp paid
stl 900 In cash presumably to some