The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-04-26
EVERYBODY WANTS
IMPROVED ROADS
Plan That viii Insure State
Better Highways to Be
Voted Upon in June.

Everybody wants good roads. The
need for improved highways is admit
ted. Every citizen Is anxious and
willing to pay his share towards the
cost of building good roads. All the
individual ever has insisted upon and
is asking today is that the public re-
ceive one dollar Of value for every
dollar expended In road construction
frequently in the past the public has
not received full value from these ex-
penditares. But this has been due
invariably to the lack of a systematic
plan of road building and an intelli-
gent supervision of the work by public
officials charged with disbursing the
fund.
The last Legislature, however, pro-
vided the necessary legislation for In
PRODUCING in Oregon systematic and
intelligent campaign for the statewide
construction of permanent hard sur
face highways. A complete road code
was adopted and Highway Commits
sion created for its administration.
Another measure provided for issu-
ance of bonds aggregating $1,S00,000
with which to match an equal amount
provided by the Government, under
the Shackieford Act, for the construc-
tion OF post roads and forest roads.
Most important of the Legislative
measures was that authorizing the is
sue of bonds to the amount Of $6,000,-
600 for the construction of main trunk
lines throughout the state. At the
same time, another bill was passed
doubling the annual license on all au-
tomobiles and motor vehicles. The
revenue from this source, together
with the money derived from the ex-
listing one-fourth mill road tax will
meet all interest charges of the pro-
posed bond issue and retire the bonds
without adding dollar to the direct
taxes of the individu2'
OF these various measures, only one
the $6,000,000 Bond Bill-will be
submitted to the voters for their ap-.
proval at the special election. June
4th. This measure asks nothing OF
anybody except that which he must
pay under laws which 60 into effect
regardless of whether the bond issue
be adopted. All manner of safeguards
have been provided outside the bond
ing act. The Highway Commission
has been reorganized, methods of road
construction have been reformed,
competition in contracts has been
made compulsory and an anti-conspir-
acy bill has been passed. Amortiza-
tion tables show that the income now
irrevocably provided will retire the
$6,000000 bond issue, meet the re-
quiremehts of the Federal Act, pro-
vide maintenance OF roads and leave
a surplus even If there be no increase
in assessed value or number Of auto
mobiles.
Approval of the bond measure by
the voters is all that is needed to car
ry out the good roads campaign effec-
lively. Endorsement of the bonds at
the June election would mean that
actual road construction could begin
this year. In passing on this measure,
voters are not asked to vote blindly.
The pending bond bill describes the
roads that are to be constructed and
defines the general character Of their
construction. All roads will be built
under the supervision of the State
Highway Commission which was Gre
ated for that specific purpose,
The members Of the Commission
are men of the strictest integrity.
They are among the states most rep
resentative citizens who have achiev-
ed enviable success in the business
world AS appointees of Governor
Withycombe, they may be depended
upon to conduct the business of state
road building with the same fidelity
they have shown In their personal af-
fairs. The personnel Of the Commits
sion is guarantee that all road funds
coming into its hands will be dis.
bursed wisely and economically.