The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-08-20
OUR COUNTY OFFICIALS
WOULD LOSE THE WAR

Down on the state highway abou
a mile from the city limits south o.
BlackfoOt is a little bridge over ar
irrigating ditch. The bridge is some
six planks wide and sticks up In
the road few inches. At each side
of the bridge for space of about
a foot and half, the earth is crushed
down about eight or ten inches. The
cars are likely to approach the bridge
at good speed, and the result Is an
awful pair Of jolts as it goes over
the two trenches and the bridge. A
wagon load of dirt or half an hours
shoveling for q man gathering dirt
about the bridge would repair it,
but it has been in nearly the same
condition all summer land thousands
of cars have bumped the bumps, TAX
ing damage that probably amounts
to 500 times the cost of repairing
the bridge.
Down on the same state highway,
one mile below the center Of the
county seat is bridge over the
of one small span, placed at right
angles with the stream and also at
a sharp angle with the road above
and below. Vehicles approaching
the bridge have to make sharp
turn to get on and another turn to
get off of it, and drivers cannot see
from one side what is coming up
on the other side. The bridge is
too small to allow much room in
which to stop to avoid collision or
to turn aside to pass. On the south
ern bank of the stream is a growth
of weeds and willows cutting off the
view, and if they were cut out,
matter Of fifteen minutes work, it
would clear the view excepting for
the railing of the bridge, so that
drivers could see what they were
going to meet. The road above and
below is good enough to permit cars
to approach the bridge at rate that
would make bad collisions possible
and rather hard to avoid if cars came
on simultaneously.
The purpose and object of govern
ment is to make sure that matters of
common interest shall be attended to
in the interest of the common good
An hours work for the road overseer
to drive out there and do the work |
and return might save fatal acct
dent for somebody and heavy loss
on cars. This county has the ex-
pense of building the bridges men,
toned, and almost all the expense
of maintenance. 1t witnessed men |
rushing around with petitions and
pulling all sorts of political wires,
and candidates for commissioners
office making promises pro and con
regarding road overseers that would
be or would not be appointed, and
now for want of care and diligence
and the exercise of common sense
on the part of the road overseer, and
for the want of executive ability and
attention to duty on the part of the
commissioner the public have to
stand for the damage and danger in
cident to travel, and the county has
to face the danger of damage suits
from accidents that are likely to
happen.
1t doesn't matter what the legal
phases of a collision on the bridge
would bring up, the moral obligation
remains, and whether Road Overseer
Thompson Is liable on his bond for
oss or injury due to the obstruction
% vision at the turn in the road, or
the, county is liable, or
the traveller has to take his
chances the same as he did when
here was no government in this ter
'itory the government is remiss in
he performance of duty. If our men
%rxy IL |
nd their fighting in such a slipshod
manner as our officials do theirs,
would have eaten his
Iaster dinner in Paris, and the chan
ell ports would have been in the
ands Of the Huns.