The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-11-11
READERS, ATTENTION

BILE Of a complete system of hard sur
face permanent roads, hard in win
ter as well as in summer-serving
every settled portion Of the county.
There is no need to point out the
economic value to the community of
good roads. Every sane person nova
days admits the enormous import
ance Of good roads to the city dwell
er mot less than to the farmer,-for
produce transported over hard roads
to the city can obviously be sold in
the city at substantially lower prices
than when the condition of the roads
makes the haul difficult or impossible.
To the farmer hard roads mean mon
ey in his pocket.
Hard roads through Snohomish
county would attract new settlers and
encourage the opening of new farms
more than any other influence with
in the reach Of the present residents
of the county. These improvements
will rapidly add to the assessable
valuation of the county and to that
extent lift the general burden of tax
alton off the shoulders of those who
now pay it all.
The present movement for building
hard roads by bonding the county
originated not with the county Off
Gals, but with public-spirited citizens
from all sections of the county Sew
eral mass meetings were held at Ev-
erett month or two ago attended
by delegates from every town and
district in the county at which the
proposition was discussed, and spe-
cial committee Of eighteen men, six
from each road district, put in many
hours Of hard study and discussion
Of the subject, with the result that a
plan of location of hard roads was
evolved that has met very nearly
unanimous satisfaction.
The bond issue, If it is supported
by the voters, authorizes the County
Commissioners to sell the bonds In
such portions as they can use to good
advantage each year, and no more.
This means, for instance, that the
first year they will sell perhaps $780,
900 or 100000 worth of bonds; the
second year possibly another 100000,
the third year another 100000 and
the fourth year a further installment
1t is variously estimated that it will
require from three to five years to
ed, and as no bonds will be sold I'M
til the money to be raised by them is
needed interest will not begin to ac-
crue on the total issue of bonds until
the last of them are issued and the
work is nearing completion.
In former campaigns for road bonds
much has been said against their is
sue on the ground that taxes would
be raised to an oppressive degree to
carry the bonds. There is no sound
reason to fear such result in this
instance. The County Commission
ers have given their written pledge
to reduce the road district levies in
the event the bonds carry from their
present figure of ten mills down to
six, and to cut the road and bridge
levy from the customary levy of lit
tie over three and one-half down to
two and one-half mills. This reduc-
ton will aggregate approximately an
amount equal to the annual bond pay
ments Of principal and interest if the
interest is to be Az per cent. The
reason the Commissioners can make
this cut is because the paving of the
roads will cut out the greater part of
the present annual cost of up-keep
of dirt roads. In the belief of the
good roads committee the bonds can
be carried to final payment with no
increase at all of taxes in the road
districts and very small raise else
where.
Other counties and other states are
stirring themselves to build paved
roads. Snohomish county must not
be relegated to the backwoods. This
movement is not, as some persons
have thoughtlessly charged, merely
to afford joy rides to automobile own
ers. The age of the automobile in
its various forms Is here and here to
stay. Transportation by horse Is now
almost replaced by machines just as
the OK team was replaced by horses
The auto stage is destined to furnish
every farmer on a main highway the
equivalent OF street car passing his
own gate. The economy in haul of
produce, merchandise, and passengers
by auto-driven vehicles is beyond all
reckoning. The sooner Snohomish
county gets into shape to take ad-
vantage of modern methods of doing
business the quicker it will inure to
the prosperity, comfort, happiness and