The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-21
Some Hot Shots
on Road Building

Continued from page four
stone highway in 1919, he stated he
had to build roads in all the counties
of the state, fOrty-eight in number
and 125 Independent road or high
way districts, and it was impossible
to satisfy all these. l told him that
he had finally admitted, in effect at
least, that state highway building
was failure, which in my estima-
ton, 1t has proven to be in Idaho.
Where a man has to build the state
capitol, take charge of building all
the state schools and other institu-
tons, and then undertake to build
highways in all parts of the state at
long distance, it is absurd to expect
only what we have SO far received in
state highway building.
Jefferson county pays to the state
each year from $4,000 to $4,000
as state highway taxes. With what
we have thus paid in the last few
years, and the $4,000 bond money
set aside for the Yellowstone high
way, we could have built this high
way in first class shape and all the
county roads. We bonded for $780,
900 March, 1919 and with the $780,
900 the county has used we have
built and graveled about 100 miles
of roads, put in numerous bridges
over canals, and several over the
dry bed" and kept our roads in re-
pair. Whatever the state does in
building roads, the people of the vari-
GUS counties have to pay, so why dig
up the money, send it to Boise, turn
it over to an inefficient, extravagant
and wasteful highway department
when we could have our own local
road officials do this work and have it
where it could be controlled.
AS one of the citizens of Idaho, a
booster for many years for good
roads, and a large taxpayer, / GER
tainly hope the present legislature
will straighten out this state highway
businesses ! understand the state
highway department has had to ex-
pend on state highways $4,000 dur
ing the past two years. For one l
am utterly opposed to furnishing any
more money for road purposes until
the objections raised above are
remedied, and road building is more
localized and put on a business basis.
The changes in the law l suggest
would still leave it so we could get
the federal aid which must come thru
the state, but the actual building
could be done by the counties, and
the local people could do the work,
thereby keeping the money at home
and not allow big outside construc-
ton companies to get together, keep
their bids up and then sub-let the
bids and take a big rake-off. Road
building will stop unless these mat
tiers are remedied, and as a progress
sive state we cannot afford to cease
roads, but we want full
value for our money.
Let's hear from other parts of the
state on this subject.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE E. HILL.
P. S. Since writing the above the
published report of the state high
way department has been received,
and in it Mr.. Hall, commissioner of
public works, admits spending $780,
$500 on the Yellowstone highway
across Jefferson county, which is
nearly 20 per cent higher than l put
It. And the same report on page 81,
an organization chart of
the state highway department, which
lists 'twenty-eight engineers. This
certainly shows over-engineering
with a vengeance.