The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1917-03-23
EOUNTY ENGINEER Ii, E,
SMITH DILATES ON ROAD
DISTRICT PROBLEM.

The secretary of the Okanogan coun-
~ Better Roads Association has advis-
ed this office that the advisability of
dividing Okanogan into more than
three road districts will undoubtedly
be discussed at the Annual meeting on
April 9th, and has requested that some
Information be furnished to those in
terested at this time.
On August IL, 1908, the commission
ers established three road districts in
Okanogan county, practically as they
how exist. District No l, includes the
territory west of the Okanogan. north
of Salmon creek and bounded on the
y est by the range between the Methow
And the Okanogan. District No. 2, west
Ot the Okanogan, south of Salmon
creek and including the Methow valley
and District No. 3 everything east of
The Okanogan river. Conconully was
then the center of activity in the coun-
ty, with the Oroville country active in
mining the Methow valley just open
ing up the Okanogan valley was un
developed. Likewise the North Half
was new and the South Half then and
until 1916, produced nothing of any
consequence but cattle. The districts
as established at that time conformed
to the laws of 1903. :
In 1907 legislation was enacted pro-
viding that the commissioners as often
as necessary, but not oftner than once
each year, shall divide the county on
any part thereof into suitable and con-
venient road districts, with a provision
that the size of each district shall per-
NIT of personal oversight and manage
ment by one road supervisor, and, that
such road districts shall not exceed
twenty four In number (Rem. & Bal.
Sec. $500 REM & Bal 557S, provides
that the commissioners shall, from the
Qualified electors of each road district
appoint road supervisor who shall
enter into bond satisfactory to the
commissioners with the provision that
when the membership of any road as
sociation in a road district owns rs
per cent of the area of that district.
the board shall appoint the supervisor
from a list containing at least four
names submitted oy the association
Under this law 1t Is readily seen that
any road association in OkanOgan
county cannot have any legal right to
name a supervisor unless Uncle Sam
can be induced to become member
Rem. & Bal. Section 55S3, provides
that supervisor shall, under the gen.
eral direction of the commissioners,
attend to all maintenance In his dis
trict, make a detailed monthly state
ment of all work done, certify all bills
for materials and labor and attend to
such other matters regarding roads as
shall be required by the board.
In a study of the foregoing, super
visors must not be confused with the
present road foreman. There are no
~ road supervisors in Okanogan county
81 today and there has not been one
~ within the writer's experience. There
is also tendency to confuse fore
mans district with road district. 1t
has been the practice for the past year
or so to appoint a foreman for prac
"a tically every school district, and as n
result many people believe that each
IA school district is road district. 1t
gx must be remembered that there are but
ri three road districts and road district
W taxes paid into any road district road
81 fund may be expended anywhere with
W may not be expended outside of boun-
daries of that road district except by
majority vote of all the electors of
such district (Rem & Bal. $500. Thus
money paid into Road District No. :,
fund BY residents of Nelson, may, at
the discretion of the board, be expen
~ ded on a county road at Nespelem on
M the South Half. Or money paid into
III Road District No. 2 fund by property
III owners of MaZama may be expended
IA in the same manner just south of the
~ corporate limits of Okanogan, or the
M advantage may be reversed in either
# case.
III The records show that in years past
Il supervisors have been appointed for
Fl the different districts. 1t is not sur
Il prsing that before this time the com
missioners have evaded the law to the
extent of neglecting to appoint these
officers for it is practically impossible
for one man to give any one of the
II present road districts careful personal
d attention so far as directing the efforts
of road foremen and checking up road
maintenance and repair bills are con-
cerned. All the supervising that has
been attempted during the past few
years is that of the commissioner in
his road district, for which he cannot
legally collect pay, and as the commits
sioners receive very little for their
services it is not reasonable to expect
the INTO neglect their personal affairs
to carefully supervise road work graf
is in the field. Some supervision is
donated by road clubs, but within the
experience of the writer all present
supervision begins and ends with
"where" the money is to be expended
and takes very little account of help
ing a foreman in method checking up
his work against the cost or requiring
a careful accounting of all tools sup
plies and equipment.
The handling of practically the en-
tire road problem is in the hands OF
the commissioners of their appointive
officers. Approximately 70 per cent OF
all road funds are expended in small
amounts by the commissioners OF
through their road foremen, in tha
maintenance of ordinary countr; roads
or their Improvement OF this amount
considerable portion is expended
either by the commissioners direct or
by their road foremen for graders
scrapers, plows, picks, shovels, bars
culverts or wood or iron or minor
supplies and, aside from such result;
as were obtained In 1916 by "tocl and