The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-11-01
ALL ARE STRONG
FOR GOOD ROADS
Effort Will BE Made to Bring
Benton County Association
Back to Life

tendance at the annual meeting of the
Benton County Good Roads association
in Benton City Saturday afternoon,
the few enthusiasts who were there
voiced a determination to pull the
organization out of its lethargy and
get it back on the job as a factor in
the good roads movement in this coun-
ty. No doubt the enthusiasm of some
was stimulated not little by the
kind of roads they were forced to
travel to reach Benton City, which is
on the main highway across tie coun-
ty.
Officers were elected as follows: S.
j. Harrison, president; B. E. Reser,
and ]. j. Kowalski, vice presidents;
E. w. Trenbath, secretary, and Perry
Willoughby, treasurer.
Among the speakers of the day were
County Commissioner r. E. Pratt,
Representative Gordon C. Moores, and
Mr.. Trenbath. Mr.. Pratt said in part:
ga recent decision of the supreme
court Of the state strongly intimates
that the people should be consulted and
more publicity given to the affairs of
a county, when the expenditures of
large sums of money are involved If
this be true of court house matters,
why should it not hold good in road
construction; where I may say the
people are more vitality interested ?
And may not ask how could the peo-
pie in different parts Of the county
keep in touch with road affairs except
by forming and keeping in active op-
Grafton some such organization as the
one that is meeting here today.
'The only criticism I have to offer
anent this association is that it does
not have much larger membership
and that its meetings are not more
frequent. In this day and age it is
pretty hard to run across anyone WHIT
does not own an automobile or a,
least tin lizzie and the demand fol
good roads is we'll nigh universal, bu
I find also that about 95 per cent o1
these same people think that all it il
necessary to do is to stand for som,
additional road tax, and presently al
things desired in the road line viii
appear before them ready for use.
i 81 am sorry to say that in this coun
ty, at least, these things cannot b.
brought about with the speed the!
expect and anticipate. The buildin,
of roads that are of any permanen
service call for patience and parse
verance, time and material, grea
deal of planning and some close at
tention.
"It seems to me that primarily il
the pursuit of suitable highways ev
cry county should have well laid ou
: and definite road program. This as
J sociatisn should take an active inter
i est in designing and laying out such
{. road plan and keep in close touch wit
: the county commissioners, prepare
to render such valuable assistance a
: they can in its execution, bearing j
!, mind that county commissioners ar
, liable to be changed from year to year
!. but the good roads association shoul
: go on forever.
). "No commissioner should object t
= criticism of his official acts along til
: line of road building or otherwise, fo
!, that matter, but when it comes fro,
. people who do not take into consider
;, alton anything but their own immt
J. diate convenience and a strictly loc:
= point of view, it is not always helpfl
nor productive of results. It seem
( to me that if all the people who d.
!. mand good roads would join this ass,
!, citation and take an active part in il
: affairs, it surely would result in be
: ter understanding of what is goin
j, on and no doubt would result in MOI
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