Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-15
COUNTRY MARKET ROAD
PLANS GROW IN FAVOR
Opposition To $S5O,OOO Bond
Issue Lessons As Facts
Become Known.

Opposition to Marion county $3.50, ,0OC
ro....ad bonding plan for market roads il
melting away like snow in thaw as il
becomes better understood how the mon
ey is to be apportioned and expended
and how the bonds areto be paid off.
/. For time, while under the sole guild
hnee Of the market roads committee
II looked as though the measure might
have hard shedding, but now that Judge
Bushey and the county court have taken
a hand and secured the adoption u
their plan which makes an equitable
distribution of the bonds among the ten
market districts of the county, provid.
ing for 100 miles of paved roads and so
miles of grayeled roads within five
years, il would seem to be all over but
the shouting, and it is reasonably safe
to say that Marion county will be found
on the 5rd Of June standing in the a.
most solid phalanx of Oregon counties
that will by that time have bonded
{ themselves to the amount of two pei
cent of their taxable valuation Tor the
building Of permanent reads
County Favors Bonds.
The members Of the county court
have not been in favor Of bonds and
were slow to get in the game. But
when they saw almost every other coun
ty in the state bonding themselves with
view TO getting state and gQyernmdlt
aid and building a system Of permanent
roads, and upon investigation learned
That direct tax to do the work could
not be voted by the people till the next
general election by which time It wouid
be too late to get into the great roau
progrGm that is sweeping the state and
nation, they reluctantly came to the
conclusion that the only thing to do was
TO support the bond issue, providing tn,
market roads committee would agree tc
the court 5 plan Of expending in each
market road district the amount paid in
by that district, and giving each dis
trict & part of Salem 5 share, and thi,
the market roads committee has agreed
TO do.
The court also felt that to build l5C
miles Of hardsurfaeed roads by direct
tax within a five.year period, might
prove an undue hardship upon the peo
pie, and therefore decided that in The
long run, under all the prevailing cir
eumstances and conditions, the bette
plan would be TO build the county Z
market roads on a $3.50 bases, that u
half cash and half bonds, and BY tha
plan have the roads completed by tn,
time payment Of the bonds would com
mence.
Profiteering Eliminated.
Under the plan proposed the count,
is to do all the work with its own ma
chinery and thereby avoid all contrac
tors profits. No bonds will be sold thi
wear as by the time the necessary pre-
liminaries can be completed, il will b,
too far along in the season 10 do any
more paving than the county has al
ready under way.
In 1920 the court proposes to sell mol
10 exceed $4,000 Of the bonds and I,
match the amount Of bonds with casl
out Of the county road funds, il being
their aim to pave between 10 aud 2
miles the first year. The next year IN,
program will be somewhat similar, per
haps little larger, the idea being L
sell the bonds only ss needed, and to al
ali times put in al least as much east
as bonds TO carry on the work, and 81
on until the fifth year when the entir'
$50 miles viii be completed. Shouli
there be any surplus then, il is TO b
divided among the districts pro rata a