The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-09-28
A ROUND D-ROBIN ON
LEMHI VALLEY ROAD
PETITIONERS START SOME REAL
WORK WHEN DEMAND FOR 1T
CAN NO LONGER BE DENIED

missioners a few days ago emhodT
ing complaint and a demand e..
remedy for some bad places in tba
Lemhi valley roads. The petitioners
were Mrs. Emma r. YeaFian Sen
Ball and Col w. M. CARPENTER al
prominent residents of the uDner val,
ley OF the Lemhi. The orde,
OF the names OF these persons might
with the entire approval of oil ~
them be reversed or changed in ary
way to defeat the purpose of the
rOund-rObin as ii used to be present.
ed in a circle, which was intended
to hide the identity of the first sign.
er to a petition. In this case each
one OF the petitioners was willing IN
bear whatever responsibility that
might attach to the leadership In
their demand for a much needed re.
form.
The delegation told the commits
sioners that the voters had provided
a large sum of money for the i'm.
proVement of the county roads near.
ly year ago but that for one cause
or another nothing at all had been
done except to drive a lot of stakes.
the visible evidence of an expen-
sive stan Of engineers that had beer
kept on the pay roll of the county to
consume SO much of the bond issue
now estimated to amount to nearly
half of the appropriation, with some
expensive tearing up of roadbed be
yond Leadore. The chuck holes
and bad culverts have been left
untouched by the hand of i'm
provement. The delegation said a lit.
tie elbow energy was the demand OF
the long suffering people who had to
use these roads and they wanted
something done right away or to
know the reason why.
It had been known for a long
while that the commissioners and the
engineering force charged with the
duties OF applying the road funds
made available by the bond issue last
year in Lemhi county have not been
working IN harmony. II is still eVi
dent that they are not. The action
of the board and the action of the
engineering force have been at cross
purposes more than once. Meanwhile
the roads and the patience Of the
people who use them have become
pretty nearly worn out.
The petitioners said they came not
to lay blame on anybody's shoulders
but to demand that the commission
ers forthwith apply the remedy for
the present deplOrable condition of
the main Lemhi valley road, specify
ing that portion of the road lying be
tween the Seventeen-Mile farm and
the Thomas Yearian ranch.
II was evident that the round-robin
had the desired effect, for the com
missiOners at once ordered some
work done in the locality mentioned
in the petition. To that end a road
camp was straightway set up at Ag
ency creek and H. H. Boomer direct
ed to proceed with the >.emanded i'm
proyements.
1t is understood that this work Is
to be done without regard to the sur
Vey stakes and is described as emer
gency work. This will deprive the
county In all likelihood of any sort
Of federal or state aid on this par
ticular portion of road. 1t may go
further and deprive the contractor OF
his pay, for it is presumed that the
amount OF his bill will far exceed
the limit within which this class OF
expenditures may lawfully be made
without competitive bids obtained af-
ter due process of advertising for the
same Thus a large-siZed lot OF trou
BILE looms on the horizon while the
tax payers moan and suffer.
On the side of the board OF county
commissioners in their action disre
garding the official survey for thls
road II is said in justification OF
their course that they did advertise
for bids on a portion thereof but had
only one offer and that at too hlgh
a figure to be acceptable-aDou'
twice the price usually charged lot
the several classes Of road Work'
Furthermore they allege that the sur
veys and the specifications thereuh
der would entail too much expense.
Therefore it is contended by the
board and their supporters IN TINS
matter that they are Justified now III
going ahead with the Improvements
demanded.
The surveys have been in charge
OF Allen c. Merritt and stan ot as
sistants, among whom are numbered
men of skill and high reputation IN
their profession. Three Of them nave
lately been drafted for service IN the
same line of work elsewhere IN the
state. In behalf of Mr.. MeTritts slue
sioners Il is said that the surveys
have been performed so far alone
simply according to reQC reneh's %
secure federal and state aid toNAru
construction OF this particular i"su'
with cross 'sertiOning made ana ut
tails a. to cuts and fills eXpllelily
stated in specifications. II Is SAID ps
The Merritt partisans in the eoh.ro. I,s
yersp tl at his work in all respects
cannot Oe criticised as 70 cost NO
as to completeness. And furtheIn mo- lNu'l
they say II the actual road conslIue =.
ton is TO be performed ACCORDING 10
his specifications there can De no
chance for private graft IN the eh.Si
prise, for whatever Is done oy % lne
contractor must be checked aISei
him unit BY unit, while under tne
proposed plan OF "emergency iul
proVement there will be no cheeA o.
all on what the cost shall be,
There Is still another matter ina
is brought back fresh to memory o.
this controversy and that Is the 4S'
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