Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-17
Reasons Why Marion County
Should Vote Road Bonds Cited

What Is the meaning OF this immenSe
road bond wave that is sweeping over
the state at this time' Why is almost
every county in the state (exeept the
counties that have already voted them
going to vote road bonds this year!
These are pertinent questions -ques
tons that the taxpayers have a right tl
ask, and questions that advocates Of the
bonds must answer fully and fairy l.,
they expect 10 succeed.
Briefly, the reason are these:
The United States government has st,
aside by law the sum Of s6ll9,2 ,262.9j to
be expended or post and forest roads
Chiefly the former in the state oi
Oregon, within the next thre wears. in
cooperation with the state highway com.
mission Of Oregon on substantiu.v a
fifty-fifty basis-the state to match the
federal funds dollar for dollar.
Following the lead of the government,
our state highway commission is calling
upon the counties to match the state
funds, and as none Of them can do so bv
direct tax lowing to the six per cent
hmitation), they are adopting the bond
system as the only plan under which
shey can hope to get state and federal
aid in the great road building program
that rs now being mapped out for orc.
gon by state and government officials.
just what aid each county that votes
bonds will get is a problem at this time.
Nobody knows, not even the members
OF the highway commission until the re-.
suits Of the bond elections are known
and until the merits Of the various Ana,
roGd projects Of the state are investi.
gated and determined To queries pro.
pounded to the commission BY the sew
eral county courts that have appeared
before them, the usual answer is: ''Wc
cannot answer you now. further than IA
say; Go home and vote your noz-s and
when the proper time comes, YOU viii
get substantial aid. ~ In this eol..ae.
ton It should lot be overlooked that
within the next three years the state
will have over and above what is needed
tomeet the payments on the state bond
issues, a cash surplus Of more than six
millions appropriated by the govern.
ment. This means & surplus of more
than twelve millions over and above the
Eighteen millions provided by state
bonds for state highways.
The question that comes home to the
people OF Marion county at this time
Is; "Shall we vote our bonds and get
q share of this vast fund that is soon TO
DC allotted among the counties, or shall
We decide to paddle Our own canoe anu
build our own market roads (and they
ire practically all feasible postroads)
An important provision of the new
iuto tax law that does not vet seem TO
'e generally known is that one.fourtb
# the auto tax fund that has to be
eturned by the state to the counties
must be applied on the interest and
Of county road bond issues, i'll
my there be the exact wording Of the
aw being as follows:
Shall be used for the pavmcnt N
interest and retirement Of any bona.
hat may have been issued, or which
ereafter may be issued by the county
or the purpose of road construction ana
A conservative estimate of Marion
ounty's share of that fund for the next |
3 years (the life Of our proposed bond |
'sue) is Sj2l,334. and an exact eo.--u.
alton ofthe interest on the bonds that
III accrue Which shows the entire in.
crest for the l3 years to be $275, ,25O,