The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-04-17

fve years with no more than ten per
cent depreciation" This opponents pre-.
tenu that the proposed amendment
leaves no discretionary power and as.
sumes that only concrete will build
such road as required under the
amendment. This is also the basis of
the assertion that the roads cannot be
ouilt for less than $25, 900 a mile. The
term Portland cement has heretofore
frequently been injected into the oppo.
sition argument, The roads are to be
ouilt with a view of caring for the de.
mands OF the traffic expected thereon.
This is why the width of the roads
is not specified. As in the operation
or railway double and triple tracks
VIII only be necessary when the local
trathc demands warrant. The highest
type OF hard'surfaced highways. en-.
gineers, agree, cost approximately 81
OOO per mile foot, that is, 1000 per
mile foot wide. The cost is govern.
ed by the width of the road. 1t should
also be remembered that these routes
traverse present main Travelled high
ways upon which large sums have al
ready been built for grading, tor
bridges and other improvements. and
DO not penetrate primeval forests. as
the opponents would insinuate where
trees must be cut down. stumps blown
ouIjraNlneS and gullies filled, hills lev.
eIed and stream1 bridged The Bill
provides that no openings wider than
ten feet shall be bridged at the cost
Of the state road fund
a. Not more than 1000 miles of
roads can be constructed with the $50
100000 bond issue.
This is also based on the blunt state
ment Al a cost Of $4,000 a mile, re-
futed above.
t5l -Four thousand, seven and thirty
miles of roads are laid out in the bond
BILL and it is only possible to con
Slruct forty-two per cent of these roads
with $5O,OOO,OOO, anG tifty.eight per
cent Of the towns and property owners
along the proposed roads will be dis.
appointed when the money is spent
This also harks back. to the third
representation of minimum cost of
$4,000 q mile. II has also been STATED
that the routes were simply "camou.
Ilaged' into the bill for the purpose
of getting votes and that it was never
intended that all the routes would be
buiIt This is not only serious re.
lection on all members of the seventh
Legislature save the four, one in the
house and three in the senate. who
voted for the proposed amendment. but
also is refuted by the resolution itself.
If approved by the voters this amend.
ment will become a part of the state
constitution and the state will be com.
mittei TO tHr construction of hard
surfaced roads between all the points
named i'm the amndment. This could
only he repealed by again being sub.
mItted to the people
CD The enthr sac, 600, 900 is placed
in the hands Of one man to spend and
he is authorized to spend the entire
during his term of office. The
he appoints are respon.
sIble only to him and it is not possible
for the people to recall any of them.
The opponents have endeavored to
make as great a bogie of this repre-.
sentation as possible. The man against
whom is hurled this inference of an
intent TO conspire to defraud the people
Of Oklahoma, or at least squander their
money, is J. B. A Robertson. elected
governor by one of the largest votes
ever accorded a nominee in this state.
lie - the only person upon whom the
responsibility should rest, and in whom
the responsibility. should rest and in
whom o. control should be vested. The
Of the United States vot-d
5000. 600, ,0O0 federalstate road aid under
the same conditions, giving President
Wilson the power to appoint seven com
lniSsioners in as many districts of the /
Untsd States. No one asked whom the /.
president intended to appoint or raised /.
the suggestion that he might name in. |
capable or dishonest men. Governor
Robertson has publicly declared he will .
choose men the mention of who's,
names will be a sufficient guaranty of
"'r business ABILITY and integrity.
a. The cost of building 4,73O miles .
If cishteen-foot hard.surfaced roads.
with the specifications in the
bond bill would bee nor, than $llS.. .
DOO. 600
Another repetition of the claim in the .
hird statement that $4,000 is the mini.
mum cost
lNl Governor Robertson has announc.
'd that when the bonds pass, construc-
ion will be started in many different
'arts of the state. These roads car.
not all be connected with each other
inlesS another $4,000, 900 additional in
'onds is voted to complete the system.
The opponents insist upon the cor.
ectness of their minimum cost esti-