The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-01-10

thing to happen to make the roads
better. We have talked and talked,
and found fault with officials and
road overseers, but we still travel on
the old style roads and, meantime,
grumble. Few of us ever think that
it takes action, not fault finding, to
get development. The action nee
essary is to educate ourselves and
our neighbors in the matter of roads.
Look around, travel and talk with
those who do travel and get the very
latest in road construction, then Of
fer our idea sto those in whose hands
is the power to get results. Our
county commissioners have the
authority to get action on this road
proposition, therefore let's work on
them. They now have before them
petition signed by hundreds Of cit
liens asking for roads and we are
sure they want to act on it, but since
it got into their hands conditions
have changed and new possibilities
are open to them, therefore they
want to get an expression from you
and from me as to what we feel
ought to be done under the new
conditions.
The officials of the Bingham Coun-
ty Civic League believe our commits
sioners ought to put before us, thru
the polls, the question Of voting
bond issue of about $3.50, 100000, or
more, for the purpose of construct
ing about one hundred miles of
concrete roads throughout the coun-
ty. This would include several
bridges, hundreds of small bridges
and hundreds of culverts and drains,
grading the roads, crawling miles of
them and making the trunk roads Of
concrete, so that in the future there
need not be single day upon which
you and ! cannot go to town, haul
several tons of produce, move our
thresher or do anything which would
demand the best of roads.
This paper has taken up the mat
ter of county roads overseers, coun-
ty road commissioner, and so on, and
has favored the movement to change
from the overseer to the commission
er. The idea is good and should be
done because the waste under the
old system is matter of shame to
our county. 1t is really too bad to
see the dozen ideas developed in
road construction in the county. One
road is built low and has water run
ming over it during irrigation season,
another road so high, that, if by &C
cident, one should ride too far to one
side, his insurance policy would be
collected and neat, new stone err
ected in the land of eternal dreams.
One road builder should be had for
the entire county and under his sup
ervision contractors should build
the roads by bids. The grades should
be established by competent engi-
neers and the road commissioner
should see to it that the materials
and grade be built into the road &C.
cording to specification. The coun-
ty could afford to pay him very good
wages from the wasted time saved
from the workers under the old sys-
tenn. Our commissioners should be
careful to select their man for this
work to see that he is efficient in
the art of road building, and to know
that he is willing to spend his time
in the interest of the CITIZENS of
Bingham County as whole, and not
the banks, politicians, or some select
set of citizens in particular. His
pay will come from the common fund
and it is the common citizen who
should realize the value of the mon
ey spent. Under this system our
commissioners would decide on re-
pairs or construction of a given road,
have the engineer specify the par
ticular grade and materials to- be
used and then advertise for bids to