The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-01-11
FIGHT ON NORTH AND
SOUTH HIGHWAY
Opposition Develops to the Re-
routing of Highway by Way
of Emmett.

That the route of the north anc
south highway from Boise to Meadows
by way of Emmett, Horseshoe Bend
and Long valley will have OPPOSITION
from those interested in having ii
built by way of the Weiser valley is
indicated in the following from today's
Statesman:
Efforts of the Boise Commercial
club to get the routing of the North
and South highway through Washing
ton and Adams counties changed and
made to pass down the north fork of
the Payette river through Long val
ley from New Meadows to this city
promises to precipitate one of the
biggest fights to come up in the pres
ent session of the legislature. 1t is
generally agreed among members of
both houses that the legislature is
going to split along non-partisan lines
when a bill making the proposed
change is introduced.
Lobbying for and aginst the
change is going on feverishly, but
both sides are reluctant to show their
hands. An effort had been made to
keep the matter from bobbing up,
but it cannot be headed off, members
of the lower house say, and they are
already looking forward to a bitter
contest. Little is being said by those
who will direct the fight on the pre-
sent route of the highway for the
Commercial club, but little more is be-
ing said by the highway engineers
department.
1t is claimed that the entire system
of roads for the state as laid out and
planned by the state highway COM
mission during the last four years
may be dragged into the legislature
when the attack is made on that sec
ton of the North and South highway
which is to be brought under fire.
The North and South highway at
present runs north out of Welser
through Washington, Adams, Idaho,
Lewis and Nez Perce counties to Lew
iston. If the change in its routing to
be asked by the local Commercial club
is made, it would bring the road
south from New Meadows in Adams
county through Long valley to Boise
by the way of Emmett. The high
way would be made to pass the Pay
cite lakes.
The distance to New Meadows from
Boise by the present route of the
state highway is I'll miles. From
Boise to New Meadows by the new
proposed route the distance would be
but las miles. At Weiser the North
and South highway merges with the
Idaho and Pacific highway. The road
between Boise and Weiser is part of
the latter highway. 1t is in good con-
dition. 1t is estimated by the state
highway department that it would |
cost approximately S647,000 to build
that section of North and South high
way between Boise and New Meadows
as proposed by those who are asking
the change in the routing, while the
section as planned by the highway
commissioners between Weiser and
New Meadows could be constructed
at a cost of approximately S34S,OOO.
Washington county has voted road
bonds to be used in building the state
highway. Adams county has talked
of voting bonds, but its people are
holding off until they learn what the
legislature is going to do for the
states road system before taking ac-
ton.
The proposed change in the routing
of the highway would bring it through
Roise. Gem and Ada counties. That
IS going to have the result, legisla-
Iators say, of causing the representa-
lives from the three counties named
10 line up against Washington and
Adams counties, leaving Canyon
county the pivot about which the two
would center. Members of
he Canyon county delegation are say
NO nothing, and no one seems to know
vet how they are going to line up.
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