The Idaho Republican., 1919-03-28
City and County Join
in Good Road
Building
GRAVEL STATIONS
Town Forced to Grow Now

agriculture on the reservation, by
the development of the Snake river
plains, and by the growth of bust
ness in the country along the branch
railroads connecting with Blackfoot
But most of all, it will grow as the
result of a denser population and
more intensive agriculture and stock
raising on the farms already made
and badly farmed. It's growth VIII
De greatly stimulated by the i'm
proved roads that permit products
10 be marketed and goods to be pur-
chased at times and under condi-
lions that have heretofore prohibited
business or kept it Improbable. The
staging is already set for a tremend-
GUS growth, and it will proceed
'apidly for the coming years.
Meet the Responsibilities
Blaclf OF needs a good many
things and tie new city ernment
should be composed of men who are
willing to act on the belief that these
needs must be met sluarely-not
merely tampered with and side
stepped. The people should show
by their vote that they propose to
oa:k progressive administration
when they get it, and stop strangling
enterprise by expressing fear of ris-
,ng expenses. Expenses always rise
when anything w-rth while is under
taken, and the volume of business
doubles up. Blackfoot used to bury
series of typhoid patients each year
due to lack of sewer service, but it
spent $4,000 Tor half a sewer sys-
| tenn and has probably already saved
100000 on funeral expenses alone,
and who could estimate the value of
the human lives saved by it!
Extend the Sewer System
The city should extend it's sewer
system to the limit of it's ability, en-
sistent with its other pressing needs,
and not be niggardly about bonding
right up to the limit of the law to
do it.
Leave water System Alone
The city needs a water system,
but it has voted to do without one
excer ting the pre3ent w3terworks
serving part of the population at the
expense Ct that Fart of the people
who receive the benefits, and for the
next administration of a couple of
years, the water question should
rest. 1t should be 50 expressed in
resolution and platform, so the peo-
rle who contemplate sinking wells
could reach intelligent decision as to
what to do to provide for their needs
If they decide to sink some COM
munity wells and install little neigh
borhood water pipes, more expensive
and less serviceable than what they
refused to buy last fall in the exist
ing system, they should have the JOY
of doing it.
Improve Five Miles of Streets
The city needs extensions of it's
pavements to the city limits on three
or four of it's thorofares where the
traffic is heaviest, and the expense
of such paving should be covered by
a bond issue against the abutting
property payable on the installment
plan. About four miles of it's prin-
cipal streets and avenues should be
hard-surfaced with Goshen gravel or
something equally good, and such
expense covered by a bond issue
against the abutting property, pay
able en- the installment plan.
Cooperate With City
The city government should take
steps to share in the use of big
gravel station to be made along the
Mackay tracks at some convenient
place for the use of city, state and
For honI1;nn 81
those in charge of construction work
for city, county and state highways,
either by public management or by
contractors, and such gravel station
should be permanent, for use thru
future years for extending and re-
pairing hard-surfaced roads. This
gravel station should be built to
handle heavy materials at the lowest
possible cost, and should be placed
at sufficient distance from the main
thorofare to keep the unsightly fea-
lures Of it from being conspicuous
to travellers.
Help Other Localities as Well
The city should follow such an ag-
gressive policy for the next two years
in improving it's streets that it would
so far as possible, remove the stain
already resting upon it. 1t should
do it's part in encouraging the county
bond issue, and in putting up its
share Of such money to show the
people Of the country that its people
are sincere in wishing to be a trad
ing center worthy Of their considera-
tion. 1t should aid the county gov
ernment in every proper way, and
use its influence in all proper ways,
to have the county government ex-
pend what is absolutely necessary to
make hard-surfaced road at the |
approaches to all the towns and vii
lagos in the county, to accommodate
the heavy traffic at such places.
Wednesdays Mass Meeting
The people Of Blackfoot at the
mass meeting Wednesday evening
should adopt resolutions to express
the sentiments Of the progressive
element Of the community, and sug-
gest candidates who will pledge
themselves to carry them out. There
should be sincere wish that the
whole population would endorse
such program, and II there are
those who wish to lead ODDOsitiOn