The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-02-28

general taxation there has been spent
on the one class of roads known as
stste highways the sum df s7,094,
1897, al for grading. These direct
general taxes will continne to pro-
vide similar grades at the rate of
more than 81 100000 year.
The funds from automobile license
fees are to go first for maintaining
roads latter the administrative cost
of about s150,00o year is deducted)
and the rest for construction in the
nature of graveling or paving state
road grades.
If the $30,000,000 state bond issue
does not receive the necessary vote
at the polls, two years hence, which
the surplus license fee money is in
tended to refund, the construction
work on the state highways will pro-
gress at the rate of about s3,500,000
year. This sum will be made up of
the motor license fees latter main
tenance and administrative funds
are deducted), state road money and
federal post road and forestry funds.
The Garlyon plan, which has been
the stusabling block thru this whole
session pf the legislature, contem-
plates finishing the present primary
state system, and hard 'surfacing it
during building period Of six years;
total of 1000 miles. Under the
year-to-year plan, if it is not upset by
future legislation, the same thing
might be accomplished til about 15
years.
The above discussion has to do only
with state road and federal funds
directly in charge of the state highway
commissioner.
Besides these funds there is pro-
vided through the permanent highway
levy for counties a little over $780,
900 a year; by road districts and
townships $3,400,000 each year and
by counties in their road and bridge
funds S2,337 900. These last two
named funds are largely used for
patchwork, and are the least efficient
of all.
The increase in automobile license
fees has been talked of for at least
six months and generally discussed.
There has never been a reaction
against such advance come to my no
tice except from those directly or in
directly interested in the sale of auto
mobiles, and this sentiment, original
ing from coast sources, did not appear
until the plans were practically com
plete in the legislature. A
Ever since the agitation has been
SO marked there has been no con-
certed backing of conservative plan
to take the place of that offered by
the joint roads and bridges commit
tee at Olympia.
While the outcome of this legisla-
ton is not just what we had hoped
for, l know from close personal con-
tact with the men of the committee
and with the committee as a whole
they have given their best thought
and endeavor to working out these
license fees as equitably as possible.
They had definite sum of money
to raise, as I have stated above, and
to allow Senator Carlyon to put his
bonding plan before the people at the
next election has made it necessary
for the committee to stand for Ii
cense fee law which will likely figure
out Is per cent over the total amount
the automobile owners were expecting
to supply.
One thing is certain, if the road
plans at Olympia are carried thru, and
can see no other outcome, we will
see statewide employment provided
for thousands of men, and many miles
of high-class highway built. Both re-
suits, it seems to me, are highly desir-
able.