Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-01-13
THE ROAD BOND ISSUE


The Montana Highway Improvement assocla-
ton has just held a two days session at Billings
which ended last Friday. There was much IN
terest 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 meet
ings.
One thing that naturally excited much interest
was the coming vote on the fifteen-milllon-do
bond issue, which will be submitted to the voters
at the next election. Of course the Montana
Highway Improvement association and all who
attended it's meetings want to see that bond issue
carried at the next election. To forward that
end, some of the persons present wanted to give
the public some assurance in advance as to how
it would be expended, geographically. The idea
we assume was that it would be help If they
could tell the voters in each county just how
much, approximately, of the fifteen million dol
lars would be spent in their county. We think
that is mistake and would be likely to hurt
more than it would help in carrying the bonds.
We believe that it is better to get your cake
baked properly 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 one the sized slice that he thinks he
needs and ought to have. The association got
into discussion about the best method of shar-
ing up this cake after they got it. Fundamen-
tally, 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 after the bonds are voted, if they are
voted If they are defeated, of course, there
L 41 L.~,.I o%1D
on record as favoring the presentation of reso-
luton or recommendation to the next legislature
to the effect that the expenditure of the fifteen
million for good roads should be divided among
all the counties Of the state, taking into account
the factors of area, assessed valuation
and automobile travel. 1nasmuch as they
fixed no specific weight to be attached to any
of these factors, of course it does not mean much
so far as ascertaining 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 altogether
and adopt some other plan Of division.
And that, to mind, is just as it should be,
from the point of view Of those who want to see
the highway bond issue carried. 1t is total
impossibility to divide up this money in advance
on county or sectional lines of any sort without
raising objections, disappointments and antag-
onism to the project. Not only do selfish inter-
ests stand in the way, but also honest differences
of opinion. To put the bond issue over success
fully, there is needed united and enthusiastic
support from all sections Of the state and all
classes Of citizens and, the more you try to
divide the sum in advance of it's authorization,
the more you will divide the support for the BILL
in our opinion. In this matter of the good roads
bond issue we would commend to the attention
of the good roads boosters the celebrated recipe
for making rabbit stew. It starts by saying,
first catch your rabbit. Then you may skin him
and go on with the rest of the recipe directions.
The meeting also went on record as favoring
the INCREASE Of the state automobile licenses by
not to exceed one hundred per cent. That was
self-sacrificing opinion on the part of the Mon
tana Highway Improvement association, for we
expect that about every member present at that
meeting owned one or more automobiles. The
revenue from automobile licenses is already
pretty large. If it was double, it would exceed
a million dollars, We believe, and about make up
to the state what they lost when prohibition put
an end to the liquor licenses. The association
deserves credit for their unselfish suggestion.
and the next legislature may take them at their
word, at that.
CONGRESS PROMISING SPEED.
Something speedy is promised in the way of
legislation at Washington. This is refreshing
1t is new kind of procedure If congress had
been dead for the last six months there would
not now be any apparent reason to mourn the