The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1913-07-18
NORTH AND SOUTH ROAD
State Engineer King Inspects Route
and Approves Salmon River Road.

State Engineer f. p. King, working
arrived in Grangeville on Sunday
evenings stage from Meadows He
was accompanied by Walter Hovey
Hill, the well known mining engineer
who joined him at the Idaho county
line, where he has been for some time
in connection with his work on the
mines of that section, and who, being
one of the best posted men in the state
on the Salmon river country, assisted
Mr.. King in taking notes and making
estimates on the cost of the proposed
new north and south road on the triI
to White Bird and Grangeville. Mr.
King was entertained while here by
the Commercial club and the citizens
met Mr. King the next day before his
departure and offered him every pos
sible encouragement in his work, with
such information as they possessed
Mr.. King is making a preliminary in
spection of the route over which it is
proposed to build north and south
boulevard connecting the two eX-
tremes of the state, the work to be
carried on under the supervision OF
the new state highway commission.
At the meeting with the citizens Mr.
King, who is an old friend of Gov
Haines, stated that the governor is a
warm advocate and supporter of this
north and south road project, and that
the people Of northern Idaho could
count upon his doing everything in his
power to bring about the construction
of this new state trunk line road at
Mr. X in q
said that there was no doubt but that
the route down the Salmon river from
Meadows to White Bird and on out to
Camas Prairie afforded the most prac-
ticable and feasible lines along which
to construct the new road.
Mr.. King was accompanied from
this place to Cottonwood by Walter
Hovey Hill, Charles Parsons, A. F.
Parker and j. A. Turner, in the lat
ters palace car, the best and most
direct route between here and the
westside town being followed and in
spected. The Lewiston party compos-
ed of j. T. Ray, of the good roads COM
mittee, and County Engineer Booth of
Nez Perez county, met Mr.. King at
Cottonwood and took him back over
the route to Lewiston. They were ac-
companied on the return trip by En-
gineer Hill, who rendered Mr.. King
every assistance in his power. The
state engineer sees no difficulty in
constructing a splendid trunk line
across the prairie at a nominal cost.
At this time there is no one thing
which can be of greater benefit to the
country than the construction of this
proposed trunk line road.
Upon reaching Lewiston his plans
provide for going to Standpoint and
Wallace where he will meet members
of the commission and will later go
south to inspect proposed routes in
the Twin Falls section. President
Turner of the highway commission
planned to make the trip here with
Mr.. King, but was called back to Poca-
tello.
Few persons, comparatively speak
ing, are familiar with the proposed
plan of building and maintaining the
national highways and especially the
connecting link between north and
south Idaho. With the construction
of the three government roads across
the continent that will follow the
Santa Fe trail, the Oregon trail and
the northern route two of them will
cross this state. One will pass
through the south portion of the state.
possibly through Weiser, while the
other will cross the panhandle portion
of Idaho in the north. The state high
way commission is now considering
the best location for the road that will
connect these two main thoroughfares.
On the journey north at this time
State Engineer King will be followed
by an engineering crew which will be
the preliminary step in establishing
the route. It's feasibility is to be first
determined. The commission will de-
termine the exact route after taking
into consideration all of the conditions
that exist on several proposed loca-
tons of the highway.
The construction of this connecting
link is to be paid for through a bond
issue by the state of 5000, 100000 and
the revenue to be collected from the
annual tax now levied upon motor
vehicles in Idaho There is now over
100000 available from this source.
With these two sums a substantial
start can be made and later on other
aid will be rendered the enterprise.
Such highway is now in great de-
mand and no efforts will be spared in
beginning construction.
There is another feature concerning
the building of the national highways
that has not been given sufficient pub
licity. Under the present laws a
county can vote a bond issue to pay
for the construction of the road with
in its borders and in order to secure
the road within it's confines the coun-
ty must pay 60 per cent of its original
cost. After construction the road is
by the state. Any county
voting bonds will be entitled to 70 per
cent of the auto tax collected within
its boundaries, the balance of 80 per
cent to be placed in a sinking fund to
discharge the communitys debt. In
his way there is no general tax on the
citizens but the road automatically
pays for itself.
Unless the funds are raised by the
county the entire motor vehicle tax
goes into the Golfers of the state.
Real ACTIVE WORK lie now, nocaccor,-