The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-08-08
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1919.
MORE ABOUT ROAD IMPROVE
MENT

MENT
Advice from County Engineer Berry
is to the effect that the Echo erred
last week in stating that the pro-
posed concrete road to be built under
the bonding plan would end at Peshas-
tin creek. Also we are told that the
order of the commissioners court pro
vides for concrete road from the city
limits of Wenatchee to the City of
Leavenworth
Where is the $4,000 to come from
to build the five miles of concrete
road from Peshastin creek to the city
limits of Leavenworth The author
lied program of road building issued
by the commissioners is before us. 1t
provides that 100000 of the bond
money shall be spent on the Sunset
Highway from Wenatchee west, to
which will be added an equal amount
from the permanent highway fund
and the federal aid fund. The road
from Leavenworth to Peshastin creek
is no part of the Sunset highway and
no part of the 100000 can be spent
on a concrete road from Leavenworth
to Peshastin creek. The balance of
the SS30000 after the 100000 is de-
Quoted is appropriated for other roads
and bridges. Not penny remains.
Where is the $4,000 to come from
to complete the road between Leaven-
worth and Peshastin creek?
Is there any assurance that the
100000 will complete an eighteen
foot concrete road from Wenatchee to
Peshastin creek? On an estimate of
$4,000 per mile it might be possible.
In the letting of highway contracts
some two months ago by the state it
was discovered that with one eXcep-
ton every bid received exceeded the
estimate. Since then material has
advanced and labor cost is absolutely
certain to be from 30 to 60 per cent
higher before the end of the year. It
is unsafe to estimate the cost of first
class concrete roads if they are to be
built within the next two or three
years, under $4,000 per mile. The
cost may even reach $4,000 per mile.
After $850,000 is spent no further
funds are available. If the 100000
will only complete the road to Dryden;
for illustration, where is the money to
come from to complete it to Peshastin
creek, not to mention completion to
Leavenworth.
The Echo is not opposed to road i'm
provement, but is opposed to any
thing that is calculated to mislead
the voters. The Echo advocates and
practices looking all facts squarely in
the face. 1t hews to the line with
never a thought of where the chips
will fly. 1t does not, however, believe
that the west end of the county re-
ceived a square deal in the distribu-
ton of the money proposed to be
raised under the ten mill four year tax
levy. Not a penny is appropriated
out of either fund for any road west
of Peshastin creek, other than the
$4,000 proposed to be spent on the
north side road from Peshastin in the
direction of Leavenworth.
We are told that our roads will be
taken care of out of the SOL 1916 set
aside for road maintenance out of the
ten mill four year levy. This means
that there will be available each year
for road maintenance $25, 344 for the
entire Third Commissioner district
After the expense of maintaining all
the roads in the vicinity of Monitor
Cashmere, Dryden and Peshastin is
paid out of the 5,344 how much will
there be left to improve and maintain
the roads about Leavenworth? Mon
itor, Cashmere, Dryden and Peshastin
being in the thickly settled and highly
developed fruit section would quite
naturally receive first attention.
1t is the present intention of the
writer to vote for the bonding propo-
sition, but in the meantime he will not
desist from pointing out that the
west end of commissioners district
No. lacked something of getting the
Square deal" in the distribution OF
road improvement money.
In September last The Echo re-
minded it's readers that the time would
come when the foresight of the tax
payers of Leavenworth would have q
desire to kick their hindsight."