The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-06-30
A Bunch of Ifs and Ands


Christensen were members.
A Bunch of Ifs and Ands
The meeting lasted the rest of the
day and nothing different was ar
ranged for. 1t still stood two to
one for arrangements as made and
per contracts already let. The paw
ing at Fort Hall is to be paid by the
whole county and Colonel Fugate's
overdraft of $14, 900 already used in
the third district to be left in that
district but paid for by money taken
| from the first and second. The net
result would be that all the bond
money would be divided according to
the original pledge excepting that
the third district pays $4,000 on the
paving instead of $4,000 as Bills
and Christensen designed. The Colo
mel said he could not help himself
if they carried out that plan over his
protest, and the other two said they
could not help themselves if the
| Colonel, having spent the overdraft
on roads in his district, could not pay
it back. If bridge should give out
| or wash out there was nothing to his
credit to rebuild it. Christensen said
| he is obliged to finish his mountain
roads, and Bills said he just has to
| pave the entrances to Blackfoot on
the west and north to carry the hea-
Wy traffic. Trego added that if Bills
did not pave to Snake river bridge
the whole county would be jumping
on him.
Editor Cuts i'm for People
Editor Trego said there were a
few things the people would want
to know about, and he made the fol-
lowing suggestions:
The pledge was made to the people
| before the bond election, that none
of the money was to be spent on the
state highways paralleling the rail
road, and Colonel Fugate had ex-
pended large amount of his share
on the state highway paralleling the
Aberdeen branch. Now the board
by a vote of two to one are spending
$110, 900 of it on the state highway
near Fort Hall, and Colonel Fugate
is objecting to it on the ground that
it is a violation of the prediction
pledge. 1t was generally understood
that this pledge meant that none
of the money was to be spent on the
Yellowstone highway connecting Po-
catello and Idaho Falls, or it may
have been understood to mean that
none of it was to be spent on that
line paralleling the Aberdeen branch
or the main line. In any event, it
had been used on both lines and I'M
til the present time no objection had
been raised.
State and Federal Aid
Some disappointments had appear
ed in regard to getting state and
federal aid, and only by putting up
bond money could we get the state
and federal government to help do
the Fort Hall paving. The road was
going to pieces and something had
to be done, and the commissioners
made the best trade they could, and
entered into the contract for paw
ing, the Colonel being party to the
negotiations. Trego asked that the
board give the people statement of
the difficulties connected with the
Fort Hall road and show how they
were forced into doing the paving.
He said that he had somewhat i'm
perfect knowledge of the whole series
of disappointments, but did not I'M
derstand it we'll enough to write it
up and be sure that it was correct
but that if the people had the cor
rect statement of it he thought they
would approve of what the board is
doing. That was satisfactory to the
board and they agreed to it.
A Dangerous Example
Trego stated further, that if Col
onel Fugate's overdraft were to be
allowed to stand, it carried with it
the dangerous precedent that the
man who could spend money the
fastest in his road district got the
most of the money and the improve
ments. If there was ever any more
money to be expended in a similar
manner, taking this case as a prece-
dent, each man would jump in and
get his part of the county graded as
fast as possible, and thereby follow
the policy of every fellow for him
self and the d take the hind
most" Even tho this compromise
arrangement might be a fairly good
way to settle their differences, the
moral effect of it was that of brok-
en- faith on all sides, with no excuses
for it but the emergencies that arose.
Want Accounts Audited
Trego asked the board If they ap-
proved Of his suggestion of having
the accounts Of the bond money aud
tied, and they said they believed they
did. He asked if they would have it
done before the fall elections, say in
September, and they seemed favor
able to it. County Clerk F. M. Fish