Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1915-08-06
THE PROPOSED ROAD BONDS.

mills on the dollar for roads. row
far this will go may be guessed when
one mill will raise less than $40, 200.
Under an old law the board may,
where an emergency exists, levy an
additional five mills, or total of
seven and one half mills, but temer-
gency" does not mean the building of
new roads. and the Elk Creek road
from Dent to Elk River could hardly
be constructed under this emergency
statute, could it? And even if 1t
could be; even if the board could pro-
coed under this law, raising some
$40, 900 annually, which would avoid
bonds would the people have an easier
burden? Or would the better plan be
to bond, borrowing five per cent.
money, giving the people ten years to
raise it, paying tax of one mill
annually? If the law permits the
paying off of the bonds in five years,
and the people can, without burdening
themselves with too big at tax, pay
out in five years, SO much the better,
and we would favor that.
MAKE THE MATTER PERSONAL.
Make this matter personal. Sit
down and figure it out from selfish
standpoint. If you are opposed to
roads that settles it. If you are not,
and want roads, then you want them
on the best possible terms, as a mat
ter of course. Then make it person
al. Would it be easier for you to
pay your share of 800, 600 in one year
were it possible to raise that sum,
although $25, 900 would be the limit
or would it be easier on your pocket
book to have the county borrow the
money at five per cent. and string it
out in easy annual payments? If you
are one of the fortunate individuals
able to pay cash your money is worth
eight or ten per cent. and it would be
business to have the county borrow
while you use your money. 1t would
pay. If your are just an ordinary in
dividual you are probably borrowing
money paying ten or twelve per cent.
and it would be moi,ey in your pocket
to use your money, having the county
borrow five per cent. money for you.
If you are not property owner il
makes no difference to you how the
county proceeds. And yet, up to
this time. most of the opposition te
bonds for roads has come from people
whose names do not appear on the tax
rolls of the county or who pay sc
little taxes their share of the bonds
won d be negligible. They say they
would oppose it if it were only three
cents. They are opposed to bonds
Another objection of this class is pre-
tended concern for posterity. They
would not vote debt on coming gen
erations.
WHAT is THE ISSUE?
Boiled down it is question of road
or no roads. Bonds is the last resort
There is no other possible way open t.
the county board, and the people ar
to decide between bonds and roads, o
no bonds and no roads. That is al
there is to it, and there is no us
wasting time begging the question o
deceiving ourselves. 1t is bonds an
roads, or no bonds and no roads.
this were not so think you that me-
like Fred Choate, J.. l.. Coontz an
John Harlan would propose bonds
You know better. For weeks the
have labored with this problem. The
have faced the facts as they are, NO
, as they might wish them to be.
is bonds and roads, or no bonds an
% roads. Talk all you please this
| the situation in nutshell. What
YOU propose to do about it?