The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-21
EZRA MEEKER ON
THE CARi.YON RIII.

5K<1SA MCEhER IN
THE CARf.YON Bill
Editor The star. I am opposed 10
he measure known as Referendum
No. 1. bonding the state for sac. 600.
90 for the construction OF state
Qstem OF trunk line har1 surfaced
o1ghways." described IN tie bill. OF
ever 500 miles. We have no choice.
uc must either vote the whole sum
- none.
arm opposed 10 borrowing a so.
0ut dollar that TO a certainty must
- paid hack IN 1ee-cent dollars.
History repeats itself: this nation
I'm not continue on deprecated cur.
eency no more than in former years
- It's life
Concrete pavement cost si.ts per
uquAre yard in 1917. and s2.ss In
1870. Concrete pavement cost SIS.
~ per mile in 1917 and $4,000 in
nD3o. These are official figures.
September 20. 1918. State Highway
GummiSsioner Allen reported: 'rhe
QpVrAge increase Of road building
GDsts over that OF the preceding bi-
~nnium ranges from approximately
= per cent in the early part Of the
0ennium to approximately 100 per
cent In the latter part Tho price OF
common labor has increased from 81
- $50 per day and in many cases
- high as IS. per day IL now being
- Now. we hear of n dollar an
0Dur being demanded. and the Lord
Gnfy knows what the price of cement
Uould be did this referendum pass
10 pave the 1900 miles OF state
e1nds NJ present cost OF s32. goo per
O0s would involve an outlay Of s&s..
ooo.0o0: n this loan Of s3o.ooo. 900 IL
Vuond. the price Of all road material
- construction charges win un-
Aoubtediy materially advance until II
= questionable n sso. 900 900 would
oDver the cost OF the whole.
Again: With the utmost effort OF
1e state highway commissioner for
Ne present biennlum II Is a race
whether he can use the whole fund
accumulated from the system OF
pay as you 60" and a part OF the
appropriations will remain unexpend.
ed What confusion worse confound-
ed would follow II this 5o-cent dollar
loan fund IL dumped upon an already
cverburdened officeY
To divert the automobile license
fund from the state road general
fund and apply n TO paying interest
on borrowed 50-cent dollars II high
finance: it's more. it's class legisia-
ton pure and simple: it's stu more.
it's . plunge in the dark. It's on a
par. as the story goes. OF the man
who asked his neighbor. Suppose
yen had a horse. how'd you swap
This license fee fund IL not n rciia-
63e asset 70 mortgage. The trainers
a the bill realized this: hence this
~jnler" OF section 10 mandatory
upon the state authorities TO levy n
TAX each year TO pay the deficit II
any. Of interest and principal. When
the pinch OF hard times comes. as
r surely win come, then will come
taxes to pay the borrowed 5o-cent
dollars.
! am told by parties in position 10
know that the California bonding
scheme has resulted disasfrously 10
sSe@t FNAA'f AAA1N lAr iVthAS III "
bgeaking up on account Of faulty
construction and that the good (1
roads will soon BE- a thing OF the
past, but the bonds are there 10
plague taxpayers for n generation.
Go slow. gentlemen Re sure you
aFe right before you 20 ahead.
II. on the other hand, as claimed
by the friends Of the bonding scheme.
the license fees are ample to repay
the principal and interest on the
bonds. the sum so realized would
supply sufficient funds to push
things 10 the limit Of available labor.
material and transportation without
undue increased cost and keep our
fest on the ground of pay as you
60" policy.
It's bad time TO borrow money
to make permanent investment.
either state or private.
/ will not concede 10 any man in
this state Of having a deeper inter
EFT in good roads than I have. The
advance OF our civilization demands
n. the crying urge, back to the
farm demands II: the better coun-
try schools demand H.
II is not because have lost inter.
est in the good roads movement that
oppose this bonding scheme, but
because 7 sincerely believe that In
the long run IT will retard good road
developments where most needed; 10
cal good roads for the farm and the
home are as important as trunk line
highways-may not say more i'm
portant?
There is a crying need OF reform
OF our road laws and put them on a
business basis. Until this IL accom-
pfshcd we should fight shy OF in
creased road funds.
Our state officers may not be 70
blame. as Is believed by many. The
system that makes possible the mis-
carriage Of results. or rather lack OF
system that will result In waste Of
funds like the past records show
should be thrown In the scrap heap
and a better system adopted--a sys.
tern based on a business principle
that would utterly destroy the pork
barrel" temptation.
II can be done; win we have the
courage 10 do II? It's up TO the vot-
ers Of the state to say the word.
EZRA MIGEKER