The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-09-19
ROAD BOND ELECTION

Chelan county plan is to be sub
mitted to the voters which if adopted
at the bond election to be held next
Saturday, will provide the finances
for real road building. Everyone is
in favor of good roads. There is no
county in the state which produces
the tonnage per acre to be transported
to markets as does our own county
and better still no produce is of more
value per acre. We need the roads
and we have the wealth to begin their
construction. Unfortunately the
amount of road building needed in the
county would require more money
than can be made available at this
time under our laws. Everyone
knows that all the roads cannot be
provided for at this time and herein
arises the only real differences of
opinion Which roads should be built
first. The time is now past for ar
gument as to which road SHOULD be
constructed first. A definite plan is
now to be approved or rejected by the
voters next Saturday.
This plan provides first for the paw
ing of the main trunk highway of the
valley. That is the unpaved portion
from the city limits of Wenatchee to
the city limits of Leavenworth. Pro-
vision is also made for the grading
and gravelling of feeder roads as
many miles as possible with the mon
ey that can be made available. The
roads designated for grading and
crawling are the ones over which
the greatest amount of tonnage is to
be transported. Since all the needed
road construction cannot be provided
for now it would seem as if this meth
cd for arriving at the proper distribu-
ton of the funds available would be
the most fair.
To the voters who would like to see
some other roads substituted for the
ones designated for construction first,
and who feels they will not be per-
sonally benefited by the expenditure
of the money to be provided by the
proposed bond issue, I would empha-
size the following.
First, that the completion of this
road building plan will release the
large sums of money that is used an
nually in maintenances of these par
ticular roads for improvement of the
roads not designated.
Second that if the bond issue is not
ratified it will be necessary to con
tinue to spend the greater part of the
tax moneys on the maintenance of
these principle roads, and the side
roads will continue to be neglected.
Therefore | would insist that every
one will get value received and prof
it from his share of this investment
The adoption of this road program
means as much to the people of Leav-
enworth and vicinity as any other
district in the county. Undoubtedly
one of the first sections to be paved
will be that beginning at the city
limits of Leavenworth and extending
to Peshastin. More of the tax money
will be made available for use on the
roads leading into Leavenworth than
ever before. Plans are we'll under
way for the early building of the
Scenic Highway and which according
to the recommendation of the U. S.
Forestry officials will be constructed
directly into Leavenworth by way of
the Tumwater canyon. This high
way linked up with the paved road
down the valley would place Leaven-
worth strictly on the map. | believe
the proceeds from this bond issue, if
ratified should be expended for the
best benefit of the county as whole,
but it so happens that our Commiss-
toner's district No. will receive more
than fifty per cent of the money thus
made available. This should set at
rest the assertion that Wenatchee is
to be the principal beneficiary
The one other argument against
the voting of this bond issue that it
would exhaust the financial ability
Of the county and make it impossible
to provide for any other contingency,
is no longer true as the assessed valu-