Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-03-02
Failure of Voters To
Pass Increased Bond
Bill to Cripple Work

crease from two to four per cent In tins
state Indebtedness for road purposes
will serious handicap the state high
way program. accordingto the legisla.
tive committee named to prepare an
argument in favor of the measure fol-
publication in the official voters PAM
phlet.. The argument which is pre-
pared by Senators b. L. Eddy and
Louis Lachmund and Representatives
w. II. Gore. L. NJ. Graham and Jas.
S. Stewart reads as follows:
"As the constitution now reads.
bonds of the state may be issued for
the purpose OF building and maintain
ing permanent roads. not exceeding
two per cent of the assessed valua-
tion of all property Of the state. If
the people adopt the amendment now
proposed, the Limitation will be fixed
at four per cent of the assessed valua-
tion of all the property of the state.
Under the constitution as it now
stands. and under the present assessed
value OF the property Of the state the
limit for bonds for road purposes is a
little less than twenty million dollars.
Precnt Limitation Reached.
"AlI the funds available under the
present state Indebtedness limit Of two
per cent for roads will have been used
contracted or obligated for highway
work by the end OF this year.
should this amendment fail to pass,
large sections of the Pacific and CO.
lumbia highways that should be paveo
will havet be content with macadam,
provided for by current yearly income;
and the highway commission will be
powerless to give aid to many other i'm
portant highways in all parts of the
state for many years to come. If the
amendment passes. sufficient bonds
can be provided from year to year so
that the state aid can be extended to
every county In the state, during the
period embraced by the ensuing three
or four years.
No Tax on Property.
II can readily be seen that no direct
property tax whatsoever will be neces-
sary to meet any of the indebtedness
proposed to be incurred by authority
OF this amendment. The plan is to con-
tinue building the state highways as
we are now doing. by requiring the
motor vehicles to pay the bills. Be-
sides paying interest and principal of
the entire debt that can-be created un-
der the amendment, there win be from
year to year a large cash surplus to
apply on road building and mainten-
ancc.
Estimates Arc Conservative.
Ever since auto registrations were
commenced In 1911, the number of
autos In Oregon has increased 80 per
cent per year. For the first two months
OF thls year the registrations are Ii 600
more than they were for the same
period last year; and as they exceeded
$4,000 In 1919, even without any pro-
portional increase whatever--that is.
u no new cars at all should be sold
during the ten months period between
March LIST and the end OF the year--the
number OF registrations would be more
than 100, 600 for 1920
1T is far more likely to be over
$4,000, but the committee fels that Il
y better to understate than to overes-
innate the income. The estimated in
crease OF motor vehicles and income
from Year to year has also been placed
on an extremely conservative basis.
ana VIII in all probability be much
srenter than these figures show
ut should be borne In mind that TO
ADOPT the amendment now submitted
to the people does not mean In itself
new bond issue except for the ten
million issue tchapter 40, Laws OF
lVzO) recently authorized by the spe-
cial session Of the legislature which ~
urgently NEEDED In order to keen the
road program under way; also Ia en-
able the state TO match both the fed-
eral aid funds now available and finds
which may be authorized BY pending
congressional legislation.
Highways and Progress.
80 much has been said from the
platform and in type as to the relation
between means OF communication and
transportation on the one hand and
social development and comfort on the
other, that little need be now added to
a Htwice-told tale" The man or wo-
man who does not value good roads
must live hermit's life In the hills. or
IN ten-story apartment. stranger to |
his feliow-man. 10 the great realm of
the out-of-doors, and to those mater
ial interests OF humanity which are so
vastly promoted by an vitality depend. |
ent upon highways for Interchange of
Ideas and commodities The great mod |
ern movement for better roads has. of |
course, received its great Impetus from |
the perfection OF the motor vehicle,
The extent to which this Implement of
progress is now being used for the
transportation of freight. to say moth
ing or passengers, is enormous and |
steadily increasing. by It's means the
product Of the farm goes TO the factory
worked and the product OF the factory
TO the farm. The development of anto
truck service is an important 10 the
Oregon OF today as railroad develop-
ment waste former generation. This
cannot take place without good roads
ana roads cannot be built without
money.
The present method OF financing
highway construction and mainten.
ance IN Oregon has worked well al
home and has sattracted favorable at.
tention abroad. Il win bear reasonable
expansion. but the adoption OF the
proposed constitutional amendment 4
necessary IN order that this may be
brought about.
-
immortality Probe
Ordered By Senate