The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-12
HELP FOR GOOD ROADS.

In view OF the possible proposition
for Salt Lake county to issue one mil
lion dollars in bonds for good road pur
poses, it is important to have the pub
lie understand how like bond issue;
have worked as to good roads else
where. A few days ago we printed q
showing from New York, which indi
Gated that some 40 per cent OF the
millions voted for good roads in that
State had been stolen or wasted. Now
comes a report from Rhode Island
which shows distrust by the people
there of the management Of the good
roads work. AT a recent election held
in Rhode Island two proposed bond is
sues were submitted. One proposed to
| issue bonds for building new structures
| for the insane and for other State de.
partments, The otner proposed $780,
| 600 in bonds for the use of the State
| on the public roads, to be spent in I'M
proving the highways The vote for
the bonds for public buildings was
overwhelmingly in favor, but the vote
for the good roads was almost two to
one opposed. The Providence Journal
commends the result, and explains it
by saying that the people of Rhode
Island are not opposed to good roads,
but object strongly to having their
money squandered by politicians, with
out having anything TO show for it.
The bond issue was beaten, according
to that paper, because the people of
that State believed that the Board of
Public Roads had squandcTed 100000
on highways that had gone to pieces
almost before they were completed,
and because it did not care TO intrust
other hundreds of thousands to that
body 'Funtu it showed by a radical
change of method that it is fit to
handle the money of the taxpayers.
It appears to he fact that the
handling of good road funds in the
East is largely by the politicians, and
that waste and stealing are prevalent
in the handling of such funds, and be.
sides, that even the work which is
done upon the roads is not done ac
cording 10 scientific methods and does
not provide the expected good roads
for the people
In view of these warnings, we wish
TO bring forward again prominently
the necessity first, of getting expert
and good administrative ability in the
work Of making good roads, in case
this county should vote the issue pro-
lo
fcult for those in charge of this good
roads work to get the cooperation OF
the u. S. Department of Agriculture
and the help of ore of the expert road
makers in that department, so that the
roads would be built on scientific prin
cipes, from the first stirring up of
the earth for that purpose until the
finished road is ready for travel. We
think that this, coupled with diligent
and scrutini2ing oversight by the tax
hope to get good roads for our money,
and TO avoid waste and pillage. With
the surety of getting good roads
through the help of disinterested and
capable expert and with the honest
and faithful handling OF the money, |
The Tribune would be glad to support
the proposition for the bond issue for
good roads in this campaign that has
oeen 50 cmphatically indorsed by the
commercial club.
In referring TO this matter a short
line ago, we stated that the board Of
county commissioners, from whose |
lands the proposition must come, are |
with some anxiety to hear
rom prominent taxpayers IN this |
county giving their views as to the pro
oriety of proposing this issue Of bonds
'or good roads We trust that the tax
1ayers will not be backward, but will |
.ome forward with full statements |
II their opinion on this question,
whether that opinion be favorable or
he contrary, The commissioners will |
le able, after the advice given, to de |
ermine more readily than they could |
otherwise do, the opinion of the tax
payers Of this county on this propo
itioD, and the advisability of sub
hitting the bond question to vote at
his time.