Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1917-09-21

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not legal. however, the order Great
ing it may be annulled ana set aside
by the court. on appeal September
was the last day to appeal from
the last order made by the county
board affecting either of the existing
districts. The Clearwater Highway
District seems to be established per-
manently, unless it can raise enough
money to pay all obligations and be
! dissolved on petition next year.
While the present situation is not
| to understand where we are going to
/ be benefited by the continuance of
the two present districts. AS | view
4 this situation it is about as follows:
First: The original Clearwater
Highway District has been practic-
ally cut in two. Only a strip of un-
surveyed national forest connects the
two portions. 1t is not. and perhaps
| for many years will not be. possible
to travel from Elk River to Weippe
over highways within the Clear
water District.
Second: A glance at the map of
OrOfino district suggests that it also
is not particularly adapted to the
establishment of System of high
ways" or highway unit. any more
than any other section of the county
taken at random. might be.
Third: The Clearwater district
has about s4.50O.OO0 in taxable
property and the Orofino district,
with most of the roads in the county
to maintain. has only about $4,000
600
Fourth: Each district has a board
of commissioners and will have to
maintain an office and employees
with set of books, maps and equip
ment, and all the travelling expenses,
attorney fees, and other overhead
charges, which will consume con-
siderable portion of the revenue 9TH
erwise spent upon roaus.
Fifth: The highway commission
ers receive no compensation and it
was not intended that they should
personally attend to the details of
road construction and maintenance,
but that they should employ a direc-
tor-a road expert-at a proper sal
airy to insure the proper laying out
and building of roads on permanent
lines and uniform grades at the least
expense to the district. But neither
of the existing districts, or the old
Pierce district either. can afford to
employ capable man to superintend
this work on the small amount of
revenue they can raise by taxation.
1t follows that. however good the in
tentions of the commissioners, the
details of road affairs are not likely
to receive as much attention from
persons who are required to serve
gratis as they would receive from
officers who receive salaries.
Sixth: The county has usually
levied a general road tax Of IL
mills and bridge tax of one mill.
When bridges are under. construction
a special road and bridge tax has
been levied. The road and bridge
taxes levied by the Oroflno district
this year aggregate 1-2 mills,
which is one and a half mills more
than the law allows, thereby increas-
ing our general taxes for 1917 be-
yond all previous limits. The total
levy in the Clearwater district is
mills for road and bridge purposes.
Seventh: The tendency of my
appeal has not apparently affected
the marketing of highway district
warrants. Local merchants cannot
afford to take warrants unless they
can cash them and local banks can
not handle all warrants issued in the
county unless they can market them
on the outside. and the districts will
have to be well established and have
some money coming into their treas
uries before We can expect their
warrants to go on par with county
warrants. In the meantime, road
work will be delayed and inconven-
ience caused to the people who usu-
ally do this work.
Eighth: The Orofino district was
created by an Indifferent vote OF ass
of total Of about 100 citizens, of
whom more than 500 have recently
expressed in writing a desire to have
the district annulled and set aside.
| might mention also that the
county is still hbund to employ a;
county surveyor at . cost OF $500 q