Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-07-30
PH|PPS OPPOSED TO
PROPOSED ROAD LAW
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
Voices Opposition to Measure Mt
Chamber of Commerce Meet
ing Tuesday


to the road bill upon which the vot-
ers OF the state will register their
convictions this fall, State Senator
Harve H. Phipps, of Spokane, candi-
date for lieutenant governor on the
republican ticket, spoke to the bust
ness men of the city at the chamber
CT commerce meeting Tuesday. The
Spokane man did not touch upon DO
lltical questions at the chamber
meeting, reserving his political dis
eussion for the public meeting held
Tuesday evening under the auspices
Of the local republican club.
In his talk before the chamber of
commerce Senator Phlpps stated that
as member of the state legislature
he voted to submit the proposed road
hlh to the voters nf the state be-
cause he believed that all big oues-
lions of that nature should be con-
sidered by the people themselves,
and that the voters should be priv
LEGGED to register their sentiments
either favorable to or against the
measure His opposition to the ROAD
bill is based fundamentally on his
conviction that the state has at this
time a system of road building that
is ample if properly used. The pres
ent system, he explained, was estab-
lished in 1913, and during the past
few years good results have been OBJ
tanned through it without unneces-
sary burden upon the taxpayers
The proposed new road law, he
said, calls for bond issue of 80
million dollars, which means a mini
mum of from ~ to l 5 million dol
lars in interest before the bonds
could be retired through automobile
license fees, as intended Senator
Phipps also predicted that in case
of the passage of the proposed law
five millions of dollars would be
wasted through inadequate manage
ment, poor construction and other
errors of omission or commission
IF we follow the present plan
he said, I'VE will get good roads as
fast as the state is able to stand the
expense and with no unnecessary fl
hancial burden on anyone.
Road experts, he commended, as
well as highway engineers, agree
that it is impossible to look more
than two years ahead in road pro-
gram, due to the rapidly changing
methods of highway construction.
As an example Of the folly of short
vision on biz program he pointed
to the temple o. justice. started sew
eral years ago and not yet complet-
ed. An initial appropriation of
100000 was made for the building,
later an additional $550,000 was
asked. and still the building is not
completed
w . clioulu not 80 iuiD SUCH du
extensive and expensive road pro-
gram until we can see far enough
ahead to be assured that something
Will develop to take care of the fl
nancial SIDE of the problem, and that
time has rot yet arrived" he con-
tended Senator Phipps called at
tention to the fact that many people
believe chat the proposed road bond
bill would result in the improvement
Of all the permanent roads, while in
reality it would provide hard surface
for but five per cent of the perma-
nent highways by the time the
80 millions is spent the roads will
be breaking, new methods and new
materials will be developed or deyel-
oping, and we might find ourselves
in the dark, paying for dead
horse