Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-04-05
Gore Gives Fine
Talk on Roads

The Ashland Commercial Club
meeting Monday evening was given
over to talks on various matters of
general Ashland interest and one of
the big features was the talk OF Rep
resentative w. Fl. Gore of Medford
on the proposed six million dollar
bond bill. Mr. Gore warmed up to
his subject in an enthusiastic manner
which held his audience intensely in
terested for over an hour and gave
everyone present fine understand
ing of the road situation and the
proposed measure.
Mr.. Gore first explained the vari-
GUS road legislation passed by the
recent legislature, calling attention
TO the Bean-Barrett bill which pro-
vides for bonds to raise funds to
meet federal appropriations for, for
est and post roads. A forest road
described as road wholly or partly
in a national forest and a post road
as any road over which the mails are
carried.
He also told of the recodification
Of the road system. the measure Gre
ating the new highway commission
and their powers and finally the bill
reaising the motor license tax. He
plainly stated that this bill was made
a law with the express purpose of
preparing the way for the big state
bond issue as it provides funds by
which the bond issue will be more
than cared for without additional
taxation. This is proven by conclus-
i've figures based on an estimate of
motor car. increase so low as to be
almost ridiculous.
Mr.. Gore then turned to the bond
measure which will be voted on June
3rd. This BILL" he stated, lis pure |
ly for hard-surfacing the trunk roads |
of the state after the counties have !
graded them except in the cases of /
the crippled counties of Columbia. |
Clatsop, Hood River and Jackson, all |
of whom have practically gone their !
limit in voting bonds for road work" !
Mr.. Gore expressed his positive be-
lief that in Jackson county the Pa
cific highway from the California
line to the foot of the mountains
seven miles south of Ashland. would
be paved this year Il the bonds pass
ed, and that the remainder of the Pa
cific highway throughout the country
would probably be paved in another
year, at least as soon as any of the
other units as the Pacific highway
under the terms of the measure is to
be paved from the Multnomah county
line to the California state line.
He stated it as his belief that
Jackson county needed no argument
for paved roads as the pavement be-
tween Ashland and Medford and the
Farnham hill provided all the ex-
ample necessary to convince the most
,keptical of the value of pavement. ,
He Sad that as a taxpayer OF the ,
county (and large one, might be ,
added for himl he knew that he had
'eceived in actual saving great deal ,
more than the county road taxes had 4.
'ost him on the MedfordAshland
'oad He dealt at some length with ,
he advantages of pavement over dirt :
md rock roads, giving actual figures ;,
the saving made on his !
,wn car which bore out his every c
statement
IF the bond issue passes Mr.. C
lore stated, mo taxpayer will pay f
cent more taxes into the state than o
e does at present, as the auto IL s
cnse increase will go into effect s
anuary /, 1918, no matter how the +
ther measure fares" G
If the bond measure fails. the auto a
license money will he used to meet +
cderal appropriations IN Mr.. Cores L
pinion, as the Barrett bill specifi-
ally states that bonds shall not he 4
;sued if money is available from y
ther sources. Thus the Pacific high
,ay would receive no benefit.
He closed after calling attention
D the immense tourist travel which
he proposed paved roads would at h
-act and expressed his belief that n
he profit the money these tourists ~
-ould spend would far more than G,
ay the bonds if it could be devoted +,
} that use. m