Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-12
DEFENSE MADE OF
EXPENDITURES ON
ROADS OF COUNTY
Charged That an Injustice
Has Been Done Members
of the Board of County
commissioners.

Friends of the board of county COM
nissioners are complaining that the
resolution adopted by the Progressive
county committee at its meeting the
OF. Il day does the board an injustice.
~ resolution condemns the failure.
or alleged failure of the commissioners
20 e. pend the bond money as was
promised by the board prior to the
election at which the bonds We're is
sued. Friends of the board claim that
the money SO far expended has been
expended just as the commissioners
promised to expend it and that the bal
ance in the fund, which amounts to
nearly $4,000 yet to be spent. will be
spent in building the roads at other
places where it was promised they
would be constructed, but where, owing
70 lack of time, the work has not yet
been done.
Just prior to the bond election, the
commissioners issued statement in
which the following occurs:
From the Cole school house to
Meridian and from Collister to Eagle,
we propose to build trunk line roads
of oil macadam construction at an es-
timated cost Of $4,000 per mile, or a
total of 1000. From Eagle to Star
and from Meridian to Kuna we pro-
pose to build good dirt-and- gravel
main roads; and from the above de-
scribed main roads to build laterals
throughout the county as equitably dis
tributed as possible. We propose to
spend approximately 100000 on such
roads. on bridges, culverts, etc, we
estimate it will be necessary to spend
$4,000"
Cause of the Criticism.
Members of the county committee
which adopted the resolution claim that
the criticism was not directed at the
kind of work that has been done but
that il has not been done as promised
in this statement, inasmuch as the road
to Meridian has not been completed the
road between Eagle and Star has not
been built and the laterals being con-
structed have not been equitably dis
trihuted to the main lines, as was
promised.
In behalf of the board II is pointed
out that It was necessary to build those
portions Of the contemplated road
nearest Boise first and the other sec
tions later, and the claim is made that
there is a balance in the fund still UNI
expended sufficient to comply with the
promise to build to Star, complete the
road to Meridian and build from there
on to Kuna.
1t is admitted that the main roads
from Collister to Eagle and from Cole
school to Meridian have not been
built of oil macadam, but in defense
of the change to gravel, it is pointed
out that 1t was found that the cost
of building such roads would be much
greater than was estimated and was
in fact, prohibitive. Twt miles of this
road was build from Cole school toward
Meridian and that work was then
stopped because it was found that the
price was such as to make it impos-
siole to build as much of that kind of
road as was intended and because it
was found that the greater benefits
over gravel road would not warrant the
greater expense.
It is claimed that the coming six
months will be the best construction
period the commissioners have had
since the bonds were voted and the nee
essary machinery purchased and that
the work still to be done viii fully com
ply with the promises made by the
board with the exception of the change
from oil macadam to gravel, which
change, it is claimed. can be justified.
Money Already Expended.
Ii is pointed out that out of the $110,-
900 already expended, the necessary
machinery has been purchased and
most of the bridge work necessary has
been done so that out of the balance Of
nearly 100000 a much greater amount
of actual road building can be done
than has already been completed. and
the claim is made that at least Is
miles of good gravel road will be con-
structed more than was promised by
the board before the bonds We're au-
thorized
It is claimed that the kind and quail
ity of work done are better than las
ever been done before but the resolu-
ton which was adopted does not, mem
hers of the committee say, complain Of
that. but merely complains that it has