The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1916-07-14
Good Wagon Highways Offer So
luton Of Transportation Problem
Without Railroads.

! happen to be member Of the /
Idaho State Highway Commission /
and consequently have given the mat /
ter of good roads considerable
amount OF study and attention and !
the more learn Of the subject the |
more frmly convinced | am that the |
system OF road improvement and |
maintenance in existence in most Of
tile counties in this state is all wrong
and while the taxpayers pay enor
nous sumsfor road purposes they are
the fault of the counts commissioners
but 1t is the fault OF the system un
der which 81 many OF our coulter
have been operating for SO many
years.
In 1913 the legislature created the
State Highway Commission, consist
ing Of five members, Of whom the
state engineer and professor Of engi-
neering at the University were eX'
otiicio members. The legislature at
that time also voted bond issue oi
$500, 900, fixing the maximum rate Ct
| interest at per cent, hut the old
commission was unable To sell the
bonds at that rate Of interest. How
ever, they proceeded to designate a
great many miles of Stated Highway
and let contrats for contructtion over
a very considerable portion OF the
Ioutes designated.
The legislature in 1918 re-enacted
the Highway Department, cutting
the numpher to three, tue secretary
of state heing ex-oticio one OF the
members, and the legislature also re-
enacted the bond issue provisions aud
fixed the maximum rate OF Interest
at ) per cent and the bonds we're h
nally disposed OF The ne" CON
mission discovered tnat the es Imate'
rorconstruction made by the iorme
State Highway Commmis' ion wor'
very much too low and cons quentl
We nave Dccu una hblt W w h'''' VIZ
; than to carry out the contracts let b
tie old comm ission which We yer
legally and morally bound 10 do
which has left the State llighwa
Fund depleted at this time.
The plan upon which the stat
highway has been constructed Is tina
the state pays one-third Of the eos
= and the county or highway district
- through which the road runs ga,
y two-thirds, the contracts being let 3
% the state and the roads built entlrei
e under state supervision, however, "
= have adopted policy OF consuit.U
with the local beard OF county con
- missioners and hiphay districts con
" missioners relative 10 various u
tails of location and construction. v
- found that the percentage oi "'e
: mead cost, engineering charges pri
" cipally, we're altogether roo llRh, ~
'h We have succeeded in reducing u
- to less than half what it WAS preVio
TO January /, 1918.
Il notwithstanding the fact That I
Il state Highway Fund Is depleted,
u number OF counties or high"ay
tricts In the state ale going Ahe
with the work with tie promise
the part OF the state TO reiuOhI
them To the extent ui one I'M
Is uheu funs for lhat purpOse are ava
able Tie counties and hiRh"dy u
r ,,irts I'm which this Is being dol
10, nav the money into the state ireas'
m and il is paid out upon state "a'fa
Of an claims duly audited 4. q appro0
lid by the State Highway Oommi-s'
'y' After the state highway has n
,Hd brought up 10 standard speci1r''l
or and accepted, the STATE thereail
n without any expeuSs to the county
no highway district, pays tNe total G
''' of maintenance ami Ne hrys rs1-r
of sp1fc.ut funds frCm the state W
y. priarion Of tie sutoasobil license
tue nav for tnis work and keep up
tn State Hiluways shicu have o
Iy. completed,
per A route for a state high"at I"
,n the Idaho Montana state hiR"a'
Ing been designated from h,aek'"9l
the Moore. Mackei, ChsIiis and >a'i
D Of Ctt, TO tie Montana line. there
'ID- nac,iny with tie proposed NOM
7ura At Bosie have declared for the :
IAN Highway Com is.soU aua 'h'
N s,ruction Of stats hlgnHay an.
,o'e trnss i'm favor OF go d f"aas 'i
= to certainly urge their representa-
men 10 the next legislature, "'a'e''
we're their political ambitions. L. "''@
se t,,i vote for liberia appr"pnatI Hi'
III NJ h,nd issue tor the constructed
state high"afs.
In this potion Of ltaA" W
narticuarly favored 10 tue ma''
ctad natural road material. Ihr
> nv stretches OF grave. bars ana "
ne. benches are ideal for the ms
lion of dirt roads and after the