The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-12-26
The Brown-H art Co.
Report on Road Work
Continued from page one

every mile will be made up. From
the totals of these reports in each
commissioner district and in every
smaller subdivision where it is de-
sired the apportionment of the whole
bond issue can be made. The COM
missioners announced their inten-
ton last winter, and again they an
nounced it in June, that they pro-
posed to apportion the expense OF
road construction as nearly as prac-
teal to the localities that furnished
the money, as shown by the assessed
valuations. They were much ques-
toned as to just what this meant,
whether for commissioners districts
or road districts, or towns and will
ages or where would the bulk of the
money go? Would Blackfoot get
paved streets because it pays a big
block of the taxes, would the city get
nothing and the roads leading into
it get more than their share? Would
the towns furnish a large proportion
of the money and get nothing be-
cause they have city or village gov
ernments, or how would the COM
missioners do all this apportioning?
The town people did not ask much
about it, but said they were for the
bond issue. The country people held
meetings and they talked in groups
and pairs and trios, and asked ques-
lions which the commissioners them
selves did not know how to answer,
but they said in general way that
they proposed to do the best they
knew, and now the secretary who
has been at the desk and on the
phone all the time, days, Sundays
and evenings for the most part, with
maps, blue prints and card files, is
doing what bookkeepers call recap
itulating. He is getting the totals in
shape to get generalities averages
and details from them. He will
show the average cost per mile for
grading and graveling, and the aver
age total cost of making an earth
road on this level country, and then
not only the people of Bingham
county will scrutinize the figures
with great interest, but road build
ers all over Idaho will accept it as a
new record set, and record made in
a somewhat new mode of road build
ing, for Bingham county has been
pioneering in. this job under condi-
lions never witnessed before and
with tools and machines that are
partly untried in this state. 1t has
pioneered in adopting the policy OF
bringing in some outside men who
could bring broad experience in road
building and the bookkeeping that
goes with it and having them start
us off in something we had not had
any chance to study at home. 1t has
had our home men learning how to
manage such work by doing it under
the supervision of the others.
Many Little Surprises
It has found that in building roads
and all the different things that go
to make the different parts Of roads,
they have to pay for multitude OF
articles they never dreamed of buy
ing with our bond money, and the
road reports will show these things
and what they are used for in maxi
g up the working force and the
materials lists and the tools, ma
chimes and maintenance Of them all.
The people of this county will
have some road reports to study dur
ing the winter and the best Of it is
that we have 100 miles of roads
graded and still have half Of the
money left.