Bonners Ferry herald., 1916-07-28
Communication
Editor The Herald:

EullOI lHt I1efdlu.
l want to call your attention to
some recent federal good roads leg
islation and to ask if it is not per-
tinent to the times to discuss the
same with a view to getting our
share of the benefits therefrom.
The Shackleford bill as passed by
congress appropriates $5,000,000 for
the first year, with yearly increases
up to. a maximum of S25,000,0OO.
The fund is to be allotted among
the states upon the basis of area,
population and mileage of post
roads. Each state, to get its share
of the fund, must appropriate for
rural post roads within the state,
at least as much as the government
gives. The total cost of such rural
post roads is not to exceed $4,000
per mile. We ought to instruct our
members of the legislature to vote
to accept this plan for Idaho. 1t
will expire by limitation in five years.
This law, l believe, will prove the
first step to systematic road build
ing, because the government will oc-
cept nothing of the slipshod, make
shift methods so common among our
road butchers today. On the con-
trary, competent road builders will
look to grades and drainage as the
prime necessity for permanent road
beds, and will be under no obliga-
tion to bring road around in front
of some influential citizens house,
in order that the children may watch
the automobiles go by, or more like
ly, that the same citizen may be
able'to jack up the price of his place.
Lack of system has been the cause of
most failures. 1t is VIGOROUSLY true
with respect to roadbuilding. The
success of all human endeavor is
guaged by the system employed-the
more perfect the system the greater
the success.
Who among us farmers, would not
like to see a system of rural free
delivery established out of Bonners
Ferry? That will come as soon as
we take pride enough to put oul
roads in condition. TIL cost has beer
the bug-a-boo to some well-meanine
people from time immemorial.
If the people would reason the
matter, cold figures will convince the
most hopeless tight-wad that per.
manent good roads pay the highest
premium of any investment in the
| world today.
Let us examine some of our loca
conditions and see if good roads will
pay. 1t will require a man and team
one day to haul a ton of hay up the
Blume or Plato hill, from the rivel
bottoms. That means cost of 81
a ton for transportation. The same
team will haul twice the load ovel
either road to the foot of these hills
With a a or per cent grade W
these hills they would deliver the
load anywhere on the bench, and tn,
cost of transportation would be cut
in half. This trick will be repeated
fifty times a year by people using
the roads regularly, and the saving
will be equally as great each time
Similar conditions prevail in othel
parts of the county. A blind MAJ
ought to be able to see what W,
need to do without delay. We ough'
to lay aside this perfunctory roaC
talk and get down to the concret'
of action that will bring results. /
certainly will cost money to builC
good roads; therefore, we ought t,
take advantage of any, federal o.
state, laws that promise to lighter
the burden of taxation by helping
us to build and maintain good roads
Respectfully submitted,
VIM. w. BRANOM