Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-24
PASSAGE OF PRO-
POSED ROADDOND


self, with its own road equipment ans
paving plants. and about 50 per cent 0.
the cost Of road improvement goes Il
labor, most Of that viii be kept az hom.
tOo,-merely in changed hands, 50 tha
. Marion county viii actually have III.
; roads and the money too.
II is generally estimated that ther.
! is difference Of from one to two cent,
mile in the cost Of auto traffic be
tween paved roads and ordinary eoun
try roads. but when one considers the
depreciation in the value Of ears due to
bad roads. the difference in cost Is real
" much greater in favor Of paved road.
and against the bad ones Many a ear
is raekod and ruined in two years
through travelling over rough and muddy
roads, that would with proper care, last
a family from ten TO twenty years on
smooth roads.
Permanent Roads Cheapest
! The reasons why the county instead
of the road districts should do the work
are clearly set forth by Judge Bushey,
in the following paragraph written by
him; Marion county was one OF the
first counties in tine state to begin the
improvement of its highways. At the
time this beginning was made the coun.
ty courts worked the roads through the
road districts and supervisors. The sys.
TEN worked very well at that time as
the roads were but little used and the
traffic was light. The demand for great.
er road Improvement increased from
year to year. going rom $37 ,2996l in
the years 1908, to $2l6,115.l3 in the
year 1915, since which time the average
annual amount expended on our roads
has remained about stationary. Up to
1915 a well constructed macadam road
or gravel road answered every practical
purpose. Owing to the greatly increased
auto and truck traffic. roads built since
1915 begin to fail in n few months, are
so full Of holes and very rough by the
end of the year, asto require repairing.
This answers but short time and has
TO be repeated frequently, making me
upkeep very expensive and leaving us
poor roads at the best. Until II few
years ago a well-construeted maeadam
or gravel road would render good serv-
ice for many years with very little ex-
pense for upkeep. At present il Il I'M.
possible to maintain gravel or nra.
eadam road in fair condition where traf-
fic is heavy more than few months un.
| til repairs are necessary.
Initial Cost Greater.
We built two miles Of asphalnc con
crete road in 1915 and this work has
cost the county practically nothing
since TO maintain. This has demon
strated very clearly that the main tray
eled road can be paved and maintained
for less money than TO build and main.
tain the old style Of roads. TO pave
the roads, however, requires a greater
initial outlay Of money and an enufe
change in Our road working system. Ma
ehinery and tools cost more and for each
district to attempt to own its own paw.
ing equipment would bankrupt the
county
However, the districts could not OBJ.
tain the help required as the supcrvis.
ors have to depend on the farmers for
help in working the roads and they can
not leave their farms for the entire
working season. In order to obtain
good return for the money Invested in
paving, II is necessary to prosecute the
work vigorously during the entire sea.
son. Experience has proven to us that
the county is the smallest unit than can
build the permanent roads to advantage,
50 as TO get fair return for the money
invested, BY pursuing this course. the
roads Of the county win be standardized
and the work done ia the most approved
manner at the least possible expense 10
the taxpayer.
New Conditions Faced
lnasmuch as the road traffic has al. |
most entirely changed, the county courts
Of the Willamette valley have learned 1
that the system Of road construction
must be changed TO meet the new con.
dltions and we have learned that sub. |
stantially built road is the cheapest road /
IN the long run Where the traffic Is
comparatively light, II is still good pol.
ley TO build gravel or maeadam roads,
provided the grade aud drainage are so
constructed that the roadhed can be
used as base for paving later on when
the increase Of traffic demands il, there
being no better base for paving than
an old macadam or gravel road.
Il is estimated that the United States
government and the state of Oregon
win for the coming three years have a
vast fund Of over $i2,0O0,000 applicable
20 post and forest roads, chiefly the
former This sum viii be disbursed
through the state highway commission
among the counties with approved post
roads projects that have voted bonds TO
match the state and federal funds.
Federal Aid at Hand.
In an likelihood. this sam win be
augmented hy from six 20 nine millions I
more Of government appropriations 4
within the next two years. Counties
that expect 70 get their share Of this /
vast fund are going to vote road bonds .
this year. As the general read building
plans OF Oregon are being mapped out
this year by the state and federal off.
eials IN charge il is vital that the bonds
be voted now and not two years hence, /
or after the moneys have all been ap /
portioncd.
Marion county has several Of the
most feasible post roads projects in the
state. such as the one from Newherg /
bridge TO the Pacific highway, for in.
stance. FNIW /
The state market roads bill should be |
as a companion bin to the
Marion county road bond hill. IT. pro
vides that a state levy af aue mill he 4