The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-08-31
LIVE WIRE SPARKS
.:.lnluu,IruIllumulIllu,lllllllnIuIIInI

4
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES InlIlIIIlI,,lllIlIl
We believe the Finley precinct will
approach the primaries with almost a
full registration. We threatened to
publish the names Of everyone who
thought so little of his citizenship that
he has neglected or refused to regis
ter. but these are so few that we are
going to get after each one personal
w. If every rural community were
as we'll registered as ours, the farmers
would have nothing to fear from the
registration law, but it is a lamentable
fact that the farmers own Indifference
is about to disenfranchise big per
cent of the rural vote. The remedy
and the ONLY REMEDY is for ev-
ery wide awake farmer to keep plug
ging, at his slower neighbor until we
are all registered. The books close
for the primaries next Friday night,
Sept. LIST, so look around you and see
if you can't find someone to steer to
the registration office.
We greatly fear there is small
chance of getting much needed oil on
the oiled road this year, and have
about given up all hope until the new
board of county commissioners takes
office January LIST, and as oil can't be
applied in the winter, we will have to
wait until next summer.
The Finley road has been bungled
from start to finish. Altho the road
is far ahead of anything in this part
of the county, if specifications had
been followed, and the road had been
given attention when needed, we would
have today thorofare to be proud of
indeed. Instead, we have road rap
idly going to pieces "a road thru
which big rocks are working to the
surface road fast becoming rutty
and chucky and which will not stand
thru the coming season without most
expensive depreciation.
Last fall and winter, the road, then
six months old, was so badly knocked
out that most of the traffic deserted it
for the old trail over the sand hill. In
the spring it was releveled, regarded
and put into fine shape, but needed
oil to bind the work so well done; but,
altho we have done our best, no oil
have we received until it is now almost
too late in the season and our road
will soon go to wreck again, resulting
in miserable thorofare all winter and
enormous repair bill later on.
Funds are available for the main
tenance of state roads every year
funds, which if used when needed, are
ample to keep these roads in fine con-
dition. Instead of using these funds
as intended, the county commissioners
have adopted the policy of letting the
newly improved roads go without at
tention and using the maintenance
funds due the whole county in one
lump sum, first in one district, then
in second, and then in the last, thus
giving each district a big sum once in
every three years. This policy does
not result in maintaining good roads,
but in allowing them to deteriorate for
three years, and then rebuilding them.
The proverbial stitch in time which
saves nine has no place in the county
commissioners road policy, and this,
no doubt, is why, in this district, we
were soaked with district road levy
three times as large as the various
oranges, commercial clubs, farmers
and civic organizations requested.
We despair of anything better so
long as our present system is to put
the roads under one man in a terri
tory so large that he couldn't cover it
once month if he travelled all the
time; but here, too, there is remedy
and that is TOWNSHIP ORGANIZ-
ALTON. 1t will be on the ballot this
November, and those interested in
roads can get what they want by
helping to effect the change whereby
each township looks after it's own
roads.
"Back in Iowa." too, they have the
auto speed demon, who tears thru the
country demolishing the roads, start
ing runaways, slaughtering live stock
and even manning and killing others
who have the temerity to use the
roads. Last June the demon achieved
a proud record of 81 killed and over
200 seriously wounded "Back in Iowa"
and now there is a serious movement
on foot to secure legislation prevent
ing the sale of cars capable of maxi
ing greater speed than 25 or 80 miles
per hour. 1t sounds radical, but can