The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-23
NEW HIGHWAY PLAN

Enthusiastic Endorsement of the
lproposed plan to give Washington q
$50 100000 highway system. covering
some 1000 miles of permanent hard
surfaced roads without cost to the
home owner or the farmer, put for
ward by the Thurston County Good
Roads Association, is coming from all
Iparts of the state.
1T sounds too good to be true. +"
Great, push it along Washing
ten the tourists paradise" and "ths
ideal suggestion for handling the
After the war; problem. are some
of the expressions of approval.
| AS explained by DR.. p H. Carlyon,
of Olympia before the assembled
county engineers and county commits
sioners in Seattle recently, the plan
Icontemplates the paving of a mag
lnificent highway system covering all
parts of the state, providing access TO
the scenic spots as well as the i'm
|portant farming, numbering and in
dustrial sections, through financial
arrangements that brings no burdens
to any real estate owner, to any ten
ant or any consumer; and far from
being a burden to the motorist 1t will
relieve him of heavy expense he now
bears. In fact the only interests that
, will bear the burden will be the alb
| sentee gasoline producer, the absen-
| tee tire manufacturer and the absen-
tee automobile maker.
The comprehensive highway i'm
provement will mean a tremendous
saving to the automobilists of the
state in increased mileage per gal
Ion, in longer life to tires and saving
of wear and tear on equipment, while
opening up still greater avenues OF
enjoyment and utility. Millions will
be saved to the motorists and truck
owners, the most conservative esti-
mates running at least $75 car
year.
How is all this to be accomplished?
Here is the plan in nutshell:
Capitalize the savings that good roads
bring to motorists. Bond the auto
mobile revenues. BY placing the
credit of the state behind such bond
ing plan and enlarging the revenues
OF the automobile department to meet
the increased charges and sinking
fund the trucks and automobiles de-
riving profit and benefit from the pro-
posed highway system would provide
all the money needed for its construc-
ton. In addition to this great pro-
gram, the bonding plan would release
regular road revenue now available
for the preparation Of road beds, the
laying out and improving of new
roads and the repair OF many roads
now sadly neglected because OF the
requirements of arterial highways
Attractive as the plan is, it is not
proposed to put it into effect while
the country is in the throes OF the
greatest war in world history but to
develop the project so that when the
time comes it can be put into effect.
providing employment for thousands
of men and covering period OF
years. Thus it would prove very
helpful factor in solving Washington's
after-the-war problem. Not only
will this plan give the state marvel
Gus system of communication but 1t
will release road money in the various
county and state funds to benefit the
roads in the remotest corner of WASH
ngton," said DR.. Carlyon in explain
ing the merits of this plan.
"Illinois is bonding its automobile
revenues for some seventy million
dollars yet she has none of the ad-
vantages of Washington in possibili-
ties for scenic highways and bOule-
wards"
1t would not be necessary to in
crease Washington's motor license
fee more than Sc or $3.50 to create
sufficient revenue to take care of the
road bonds and leave a great margin
to spare for even greater highway
development in the future, according
to preliminary estimates. This in
crease would be less than 10 per cent
of the estimated saving that the pro-
posed paving would effect for each
car. Just think of that, get SIS bene-
fit for the expenditure of $6! Even
this proposed increase in motor fees
would not place Washington's charges
higher than Idaho has now. There
are many states whose fees are much
higher than Washingtons.
Another feature of the paving plan
| is that under it the state would be
empowered to take over from the
various counties such highways as
might logically be a part of the main
highway system, compensating the
| counties for the work done on the
| roads at fair valuation. This would
| give the counties which have already
| spent large sums on road building
| return of money that could be turned
| either to the payment of road bonds
already outstanding or to the con-
| struction of more roads.
| Good roads advocates are whole
| heartedly behind this great paving
| plan and automobilists are giving It
| their strongest Endorsement for they
point out that the increased saving in
gasoline, tires and upkeep and the
greater opportunities for touring will
make the proposed increase in motor
fees look very small in comparison.
From the standpoint of the farmer.
the city consumer of farm goods, and
the metropolitan merchant the paving
plan has everything to commend it
for 1t makes not cent drain upon
them, while bringing them showers
OF blessings in the form of decreased
hauling charges, reduction in the cost
Of living through making farm and
city products more readily exchange
able and in widening the field of intra-
= state development.
P. s. May, of Nighthawk, was regis
| | tered in town Friday last