The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-01-30
REPORT OF WORK ON
LATAH COUNTY ROADS
ENGINEER MONAHAN SUBMITS
REPORT OF WORK DONE
AND EXPENSES INCURRED

What has been done IN Latah coun-
TVS highway road building program
and what has been spent so far? This
question has been asked in many
form many times and its answer will
be of interest to the tax payers and
the public generally. Work was be-
gun too late last year to permit of
any great amount of actual road con-
struction, because there is so much
preliminary work to be done before
construction work can start There
are great many different roads in
cluded in the building program and
they cover many miles. The various
roads had to be located and surveys
made for the county or state work,
and after that was completed still
more detailed survey and report had
to be completed for federal aid.
Expect Much Federal Money
The government offered to put up
money for aid on certain roads used
for mail carrying, or postal roads"
and in order to secure this the feder-
al government requirements of detail
ed plans, showing the exact cost, the
elevation, roads, bridges, every de-
tail including the exact cost of con-
struction had to be filed with the gov
eminent post roads department. This
required an immense amount Of work
but without it no federal aid can be
secured While the federal govern
ment will not give money for building
all roads over which mail is carried,
it will help in building many of them
several hundred thousands of dollars
for post roads. In this work the
government pays half the expense of.
building the road but it must be built
under government supervision and ac-
cording to government specifications.
Sergeant Monahan, the able en-
gineer in charge of the work in Latah
county has had his force of engineers,
every one an expert in his line, at
work preparing this data which the
government requires. He cannot tell
and neither can any one, how many
miles of highway the government will
help build in Latah county, but we
have the assurance that it will help
build some of the roads through this
county, including the state highway
and the main sections of the principal
roads. Demands made upon the gov
eminent post roads aid funds are so
great they would take billions of dol
lars and many of these demands will
necessarily have to be rejected but |
there is little doubt that Latah coun-
ty will receive substantial sum.
Detail Work About Completed.
During the winter, when work could |
not be done on the construction of |
roads, the force has been engaged in |
preparing the detailed plans blue |
work for the building of roads. When |
spring opens and the soil is in con-
dition to be worked, the actual work
of construction will begin and it will
not be delayed while plans or specifi-
cations are being worked out These
will have been prepared during the
season when construction work could
not be done.
Knockers Are at Work.
The element which fought the bond
issue and has opposed building roads
in Latah county did not accept defeat
at the polls as final but it is under
stood has been working quietly, but
industriously to upset the road build
ing program adopted by much more
than two thirds of the voters of Mos
when the bonds were voted Propa-
ganda is being carried on against the
road building plans just as industri-
ously as Bernstorff and his horde of
Germans carried on in this country
against the interests of the United
States, until they were sent home in
disgrace. One of the most activ
spirits in printing and circulating the
protest against the bonds on election
day, is out with written article de-
the road building program
now accepted and partly completed.
Wild rumors of enormous costs and
waste of "the peoples money" are
being peddled industriously. A con-
crete bridge on the Frazier road
which cost, complete, $2613.83, and is
said to be one of the best in the Inland
Empire is reported to have cost all
the way from $4,000 to $4,000, ac-
cording to who is telling the story.
Gives Detailed Report. !
At the request of this paper Serge
ant Monahan, engineer in charge of {
the work, has prepared detailed !
of the work done, the ex- T
act cost of each part of the work and T
'or what the money was spent. His =
report follows. Every tax payer >
should read it. Here it is:
Irading-Road Number Four Graz D
Ter Road L
Supervision 1890. .....$ 6O1.25 l.
Labor 874.14
Team hire ....... 663943
-. ........... 1916 +
Bridges, % foot span bridge
reinforced concrete ...... 2613.83 al
;ulvert construction and l.
channel change, incl'd'g 1873
"a inch reinforced concrete dl
pipe and 312 feea IL inch N
concrete pipe in place and L.
to be placed ...... 1131.35
testing for gravel 81 81
pit and quarries, opening
gravel pits, experimental
surfacing and surfacing to d.
test the use of disintegrat-
er grant ................ 3551.1
preliminary To- t.
cation and construction. 52746
preliminary To- an
cation from end of COM 10
r,Io+o1 road RI Td1arS Rost