The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-08-06

woman ana enid, both IN the city an(
country.
| Uso Of tho Country Road.
While the city person may never ride
on the country roads, he must not for
get that nearly everything he uses has
to be hauled over some country road
Although Multnomah County does NOT
have very much farming land, it is a
very wealthy county, about 40 per cent
of the wealth of the entire State of
Oregon being in its borders.
Then, too, there is a very rich farm
ing country all around us. With the
Interstate bridge built, Clarke County,
Washington, will be as close to Port
land as any of our Oregon counties.
Some of cur Oregonians may not real
ize what that means, but Clarke County
has very rich farming lanos and it is
away ahead of Multnomah County on
permanent road construction. They
have about four times as much paved
county roads as Multnomah County and
are building more as fast as possible
Now then, what is the answers Multi
nomah County is worth about 20 times
as much as Clarke County. With one
third of the population and two -fifths
of the wealth of the entire State of
Oregon, we should lead the way.
Autoists Interested.
Some people will say, ~ want good
roads so that I can ride around in my
automobile" l am fortunate enough to
own an automobile and riding around
in it is what first started me thinking
about roads; and the more l look into
it the more impressed l am with the
great benefit good roads will be to
everyone.
Multnomah County has about 500
miles of county road. With 2-mill
levy for road purposes for four or five
years, every one of its county roads
could be paved. With an eight or ten
year maintenance that would mean a
very light road tax after that just
think of it, In the last ten years Multi
nomah County his spent 100000 on
roads, with no permanent roads yet.
With that same amount we could now
pave all our county roads, over which
practically everything we use could be
,auled much more cheaply than now.
These roads can all be made perma-
,ent without hurting anyone. A 2-mill
evy means So on each $1,000 of as
,essed valuation, or a 2-mill levy each
year for five years would mean $40 on
zach $1,000 of assessed valuation. Can
anyone say he will not benefit that
much in proportion to whatever is his
assessed valuation9
Washington Leads.
The State of Washington is at least
l2 years ahead of Oregon on the road
problem. While taxes are higher in
Seattle than Portland, Samuel Hill tells
ne one can live more cheaply there
han in Portland, owing to its paved
county roads and public markets. Do
We want to lag along behind Seattlea
Look at Los Angeles. With a popu-
alton of over 100000. Just few years
.go it was no larger than Portland.
food roads are what built it up. Los
angeles has good winter climate, but
never amounted to anything as
rawing card till they built good roads.
he State of California and its counties
re this year spending $4O,00O,00O on
Dads. King County, Washington, is
pending $5,500,O00 this year on roads.
re we to lag behind everybody elsef
An Important Problem.
I believe the road question is the
lost important problem before the
merican people today; more important
ian tariff, currency or anything else.
ood, high-class roads will do more to-
ard regulating rates on railroads than
lie Railroad Commission can ever hope
accomplish, and this will not hurt the
lroads, either, because these county
,ads will be the means of developing
1e rural districts and consequently !
AXE more business. ] am sure the rail =
,ads would far rather have the county
,ads to regulate their rates than to