Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-01-27
GOOD ROADS
CONVENTION
MEETING AT
INDEPENDENCE
West Side Pacific Highway Planned
at Meeting as Reported to the Ore
gonian.

and evening declared for the Pacific
: Highway being built on the west side
. of the Willamette River, or for two
highways, if necessarily. 1t also
went on record in favor of construct
ing permanent hard surface highways
on all main Travelled roads in Polk
County to connect with the Pacific
Highway on the north and south. A
large crowd attended the meetings.
If two roads along the river are
constructed it was urged that one
come out of Portland on the East
Side and the other out South Fourth
street to the Rex-Tigard road, then
through Washington and Yamhill
counties, and south through Polk and
Benton counties, and connect with
the other road at Eugene. From
There one road south was urged.
Permanent Roads Urged.
The meeting was called to order
by B. f. Swope of that city, who made
a plea for building permanent roads
in the county. IL Charles Dunsmore
gave the welcoming address, on be-
half of the citizens and the Com
mercial Club.
Professor Shelton of the Oregon
Agricultural College, spoke on Roads
and Highways He said in part:
~ am in favor of building a high
way on each side of the river, and of
building these roads of the best ma
terial, making them the highest type
of highway. am in favor Of mar
cadam on the by-roads. H. sq..,epI
Bonding Plan Explained.
Major Henry L. Bowlby, State
Highway Engineer, then said that
under the law passed at the last, ses-
sion of the Legislature, Polk County
can bond for $280,O0O
"The Pacific Highway is not le-
gal; it is only a road planned by the
Pacific Highway Association, and the
signs were put up by that association
on what was then the best road
through the valley" he said. Gore
gon has two ways for road through
the Willamette Valley, and both will
be improved All automobiles that
come to Portland will continue on
any road as far as they are paved.
If the paved road stops at Salem
they will stop there and go back.
"Bonds could be sold for not less
than per cent, as has been proven
by the counties that have already
fioated bonds.'
On the subject of "Paved High
ways-Will They Pay?" Thomas
McCusker said:
"If Bourne IS bill goes through
Congress Oregon will get $16,00O,OO0,
This money will build roads that will
be feeders to the railroads and these
will be used by the farmers. The
present maximum capacity of auto
mobile trucks is 12' tons, and most
roads will not hold these loads. There
are roads under prospect that will !
will bring the automobile truck into
more general use in the country.
Good roads will bring the tourists.
Mud Tax Enormous H's
"There are hundreds Of thousands :
of dollars spent on what is called the
mud tax. 1t % is estimated that the !
roads in Oregon cost $4,000 per mile. 4
Eighteen million dollars has ben spent a
on Oregon roads, and of this amount !,
fl7 100000 has been wasted. Unless /,
pavement is guaranteed for ten years
it should have no consideration. /
believe in the use of wood blocks
treated with carbolineum. r.
A. J. johnson of Corvallis said: . q
"The time has come to start per- a
nanent road building. The farmer =
S entitled to good roads. We want
Ill main highways permanently i'm
proved. Benton County either will
make arrangements to float bond
ssue or will levy a heavy tax each 4
year until permanent roads are built. !.
am in favor of either state or Gov =
,rnment aid, and think that they 7
ihould do half of it. l think that =
f Polk County does float bond issue \
hat Benton County will not be far
n the rear.'
State Senator Hawley said:
81 think that the Pacific Highway a
hould come up the West Side. This 4
5 an automobile age, and the farmer
must have them as matter of nee 4
ssity. The number of automobiles o
n the state is rapidly increasing.P {,
W. V. Fuller, president of the Dali s,
as Commercial Club, said: n
II think that if we didn't do any, lp