Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-02-05
Farmer for Big Bond Issue Before
Going to Treasurer's Office to
Give up Bunch of Money.
ONE FARMER INSISTS
GRAVEL BEST FOR HIGHWAYS
Insists So-Called Hardsurface Speed
ways viii not Last as Long as
Ordinary Graded Road.

proposed $3.50, 900 road bond issue has
been introduced, taken occasion to
make a few notes of what the average
farmer and taxpayer throughout the
rural districts thinks of the good roads
plan and how the matter is being sur
veyed generally.
The Judge declares that while he
does not care to express himself as to
the merits of the bonding plan, he has
been introduced of late by the different
angles in which it is viewed. One rath-
er amusing incident occurred last week
when a well known farmer owning
property in the southeast section Of
the county, where the highways are not
in the best of condition, called upon
Judge Bushey and after talking about
good roads for a time, expressed him
self as being in favor of the bonding
plan and declared that he was going
to support it. The farmer said that
while it was not very likely that road
improvements would come his way for
year or two, the movement had to be
started and that he was willing to do
his share.
The farmer then, says Judge Bushey,
called into the tax collecting depart
ment and paid his taxes. After look
ing over the receipt for few minutes,
Judge Bushey states that the farmer
entered his office again and with a
very serious expression on his face said
that he did not desire to be misunder-
stood but after further consideration
of the taxes this year, he believed that
he wouldn't support the bonding issue
after all.
Old Plan Useless.
According to Judge Bushey, the old
plan of appropriating money for road
improvements in this county will not
work out at all if used in distributing
money derived from a bond issue. The
plans in quetsion were and are more
beneficial to the taxpayer in the larger
road districts than in the smaller for
the reason the district paying in the
most money was given more road i'm
provements or, in other words, the ex
act amount paid in by each district was
reconveyed to the respective district
notwithstanding its size. In the
event the $S50,000 bond issue is carried
to give one district more than the other
would be working hardship upon the
smaller district as the latter would be
entitled to just as much consideration
despite the fact that larger road dis
tricts were assessed heavier under the
old road improvement system.
Gravel Road Boosted.
Last Saturday crowd of Marion
county taxpayers mostly farmers, con
gregated in the county judges Office
and were discussing the good road
question when one taxpayer took tn,
floor and relieved himself Of his opin
ion as to the relative lasting qualitie
of gravel roads and paved highways
He was n forceful talker and he launch
ed into the late question with apparen
desire of convincing his hearers tina
the paved or hard surface highwa!
could not be made n success. He tolt
his listeners that a good gravel roa'
would outlaat a hard surface road; tina
the fromer was less costly and woulC
pay for itself many times more thai
would the hard surface highway.
County Judge Bushey declared tina
this man owns farm on Pacific High
way, north Of Salem, and is in direc
line with the proposed 20 miles Of dem
onstration highway which is to be con
structed by the state and that DESPITE
this fact he was not in favor Of an!
road but that built Of gravel.
Taking it all in ALL the county judg'
finds that after the farmer and tax
payer visits the tax collecting depart
ment he is at once very reluctant abou
making any remarks tnat would lea'
his hearers to believe that he was il
favor Of big bond issue.
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GROSS PAINTINGS CASE