Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1916-09-26
OTHERS OPINIONS
Good Roads Spirit Marching On.

The Dalles Chronicle-Coos coun
~, in the southwestern part Of Ore.
gon, furnishes an object lesson il
the matter of sensible road building
For years its only highways were the
ocean. via Coos bay and its rivers
and inlets Heavily timbered its
first roads were mere trails, but event
tually the heavy expense of opening
roads through the forest had to be
undertaken, not to take into account
the grading of hills and building of
bridges.
For the first few years the work
was OF the customary haphazzard
character and then the farmers woke
up to the fact that it didn't pay.
There is rainfall of 65 inches in
that section, most of it during the
winter and the road problem in the
mountain districts and on the low
lands was difficult one At first
the roads were largely corduroy; lat
er the rock highway and this was
succeeded by the plank road. About
five years ago, the progressive citi-
Gems acknowledged the fact that large
sums Of money were being expended
every year without any permanent
resulting; that the system of
repairing and patching was all
wrong.
A campaign for sane road eonstruc
ton was then begun, and a road de.
partment was organized with the idea
Of giving the taxpayers real roads
for the money it was taking from
lim. 1t is big county, but they did
AWAY with the old system to a grea-
extent, and put the work under the
direction of practical road build
er. During this time they have been
more than 100000 year
II permanent roads; the old super
'isor system has been relegated to
'he scrap heap and in their places
ire patrolmen ton the system adopt
ID in British Columbia long ago)
whose business it is to patrol sec.
ions of the different highways, .
make small repairs, see that the :
lainage is kept up to the standard .
nd report any work that cannot be !
one with the equipment provided. In
his way chuck holes are kept filled
p and. mud puddles are drained out
o the roads will not cut up.
Coos county has 635 miles of road
ays, and this method of scientific
obstruction gave such excellent re-
llts that last May the county voted
100000 bonds and levied enough adj
ltional so Chat next spring they will
ave fund of nearly 100000 avail
Die for permanent road construe-
on.
The story of Columbia county had
ercolated to every part of Coos
'unty, but they have an intelligent
nd economic system of expenditure 7
I'D the misfortunes or mismanage-
ent IN Columbia county in no way
sterred them and the bond issue l.
-rned overwhelmingly.
They have only $4,000 population.
1t they have the right idea of the
ad question and the nerve to put p
through. More than that. five years
scientific construction and main 6:
nance has convinced the most skep-
al that good roads pay for them T.
ives. The good roads movement is
wing with tremendous strides and r
the voters of Waseo county will
Ie up the consideration of it with 4
en- minds and a determination to
* into it from all sides. there is Y
doubt the economy of eonstrue-
n. the saving in maintenance. and ca
lessened cost of travel and haul- Ca
will be so apparent that there pc
be only little opposition to bond =