Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1913-04-29
Governors Open Letter
INITIAL COST OF GOOD ROADS
Continued from Page One

at is obvious that a state apr opration of SIS per mile would not
properly construct a good roads" highway. In most OF II counties.
owing to favorable climatic and soil conditions, desert and valley roads
for considerable distances "a be built at relatively small cost-that is
to say. about $50, minimum. per mile. But along mountain grades, or
which are dusty IN summer e and mry IN sprng II WINTER ana
in valleys where the soil is fine silt or volcanic ash, inclined to chuck
holes when dry, and botomless when vet, the initial cost OF permanent
highways will vary from $1,000 to $4,000 per mile. have inquired
from several competent engineers what would be their rough estimate
Of the cost OF a reasonably constructed "good-roads' highway across
The State. approximately 400 miles in length. The replies vary from
mile. This calls or merely a II Substantially constructe OF tar grades
and contours with due attention to drainage and low in aher-cost OF
maintenance. 1t is a n obvious, W OF the lowest estimate. the
proposed appropriation OF SIS per mile by the State would have not
proved much OF a factor II such construction.
THE EXAMPLE OF ORMSBY COUNTY
About six years ago Ormsby County bonded itself. and expended
about $4,000 OF some s miles OIL permanent highway The annual cost
Of maintenance since has been Slight, and. from the standpoint OF the
taxpayers. it has proved a good investment. The interest II the bonds
plus the present maintenance cost is probably not materially greater
than what was annually expended in repairs o this road. and mean
while the county has had the beneht OF the Improvement.
THE taxpayers of the county, AT a mass meeting . n April IA, 1915.
voted unanimously to bond themselves Tor $4,000 (pus $500 otherwise
available to improve the Kings Canyon road leading to Lake Tahoe
This road. as ii is, with a few hundred dollars repairs. would be con
Just beyond its terminus i, The California highway. and in comparison
with which this grade comes into dsrepute. SO Ormshy County. with
its former experience in good roads. proposes to complete its system by
standard7ing this grade When completed. with this additional eSpen-
diture, the county will have twenty miles OF "goodroads' highway TO
connect with an east and west highway acros the State, and which will
represent the countys completed share of the same.
"Now, the taxpayers OF Ormsby County, relatively, are not wealth
Ter or more prosperous than the property owners of the other counties
Since the cost Il the taxpayer. relative to his taxable property, is in
lows that in a county, say with twice the taxable property OF ormsby
County, forty miles Of such highway could be constructed at precisely
the same cost TO the property owner in each instance
"The following table may be OF interest. as IT VIII show. relative 10
the total taxable property in the several counties. how each such county
would stand in mileage Of good roads; expenditures within six years
for highway construction mot repairs and proposed bond issue. this
year. therefor, il proportional to what Ormsby County has done me
is proposing to do in the matter of good roads:
Table of Relative Comparisons With Ormsby County