The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-02-20
FIJI @ BOND ISSUE.

The Montana Highway Improvement
association has just held a two days
session at Billings which ended last
Friday. There was much interest and
enthusiasm manifested, and the read
ers of The Tribune have already been
informed of the proceedings through
the report of our special correspondent
who attended the meetings.
One thing that naturally excited
much interest was the coming vote on
the fifteen-million-dollar bond issue,
which will be submitted to the voters
at the next election. Of course, the
Montana Highway Improvement asso-
citation and all who attended it's meet
ings want to see that bond issue car
ried at the next election. To forward
that end, some of the persons present
wanted to give the public some assur-
ance in advance as to how it would
be expended, geographically. The idea
we assume was that it would be a help
if they could tell the voters in each
county just how much, approximately,
of the fifteen million dollars would be
spent in their county. We think that
is a mistake and would be likely to
hurt more than it would help in car
rying the bonds. We believe that it
is better to get your cake properly
baked before you begin to cut it up
and distribute it, especially if you have
reason to believe that there will not
be enough of it to give every n the
sized slice that he thinks he needs and
ought to have. The association got
into a discussion about the best meth
cd of sharing up this cake after they
got it. Fundamentally, we believe the
decision they came to does not throw
much light on this question of divi-
sion. In fact, it does not mean much
at all, and in effect passes the buck
to the legislature which will meet af-
ter the bonds are voted, if they are
voted. If they are defeated, of course,
there will be no cake to divide. The
association went on record as favoring
the presentation Of a resolution or rec
ommendation to the next Legislature
to the effect that the expenditure oil
the fifteen million for good roads
should be divided among all the coun'
ties of the state, taking into account
the factors of area, assessed valuation
and automobile travel. Inasmuch as
they fixed no specific weight to BIZ
attached to any of these factors, OF
course it does not mean much so fal
as a~scertaining the share that each
county would have if the Legislature
followed the plan recommended. AND
then, again, the legislature, which will
have the final say on this matter, may
see fit to ignore the suggestion alto
gether and adopt some other plan OF
division.
And that, to our mind, is just as i
should be, from the point of view o.
rhOSe VINO want TO see LHe HlgHWa
bond issue carried. 1t is a total i'm
possibility to divide up this none.
in advance on county or sectional line
of any sort without raising objections
disappointments and antagonism to tn
project. Not only do selfish interest
stand in the way, but also honest diff
f~erences of opinion. To put the bon
issue over successfully, there is need
ed a united and enthusiastic supper
from all sections of the state and a
classes of citizens and, the more yo
try to divide the sum in advance of il
authorization, the more you will d
vide the support of the bill, in oil