Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-05-23
MUNICIPAL PAVING PLANT

1t is to be hoped that the courts will not interfere in
the attempt of the mayor and city council to emancpae
the property of Salem from the eXtortOnate de-
mands of the paving trust city-owned paving plant
operated by home labor and laying pavement for prop
erty owners at virtual cost busnesske and sensible
idea in all respects. The depression IN many OF the
Northwest cities and towns may In measure be traced
to the vast expenditures for public improvements Loading
the municipalities with bonded debts and increasing tax
alton to the point of conscatiOn in instances And
the greatest beneficiary of this OF extravaganza has
been the several paving concerns operating IN thS terri
tory and apparently combined into one big paving trust
so far as the sitting of actual competition IS concerned
This combine has left trail Of debauched and bIlbed
city officials newspapers and property owners that makes
the map of the Northwest look like checkerboa1d and
as result property have been forced to pay IN
many instances double the price they should have PAID
for an inferior brand of hard surface streets The rule
of the paving trust in Oregon, Washington ana ldaho
during the past eight nine years has been one OF aDso
lutte disregard for the rights and interests OF the prop
erty owner and taxpayer and that rule has been so
deSpotc that the people are IN no noOd 10 submit longer
to its expressions
Salem is in need of considerable more street improve
ment work and the property owners will consent to 1t
when they are assured of reasonable price Tor pave
ment and not before The municipal plant idea was a
sensible plan to eliminate the trust and its eXtorhons
and of course there comes the inevitable court injunction
That is the corporation and trust plan always for defeat
ing the Just efforts of the people to govern themselves
The Oegonan takes the president to task for appoint
ing George Rubee as a member Of the Federal Trade
Commission and insists that this in violation OF the
spirit of the law because its intent was that where
minority party was entitled to representation on com
mission he principal minority party was meant While it
is probable the republican party the principal minority
party it is not so shown by the national returns The
progressves poed larger vote than the republicans at
the last national election and this is the last official test
of the national strength of the parties may be possible
the next two weeks will again show the progresslyes the
stronger 1t remains to be whether the elephant or
bull moose is the principal even though minority ANIMAL
defeated candidate was met by Capital Journal
man the morning after and he smiling and CHEEKY as
though he had not been through the mill and came out
ground pretty fine When questioned about his views on
the matter he replied in effect that this was demo
cratic country that every other and woman too in
Oregon had as much right to Judge to his being the
right man for the place he had and they having decided
against him he had fault to find That was the cheer
u and correct way to look at it. and is of the brand of
philosophy used by the Irshman who gave recipe for
cOntentedness the simple formula: "lf you don't get
what you like like what you get"