The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-10-26


worriment over it. At the same
time there was complaint from peo-
PIE in the town that work was COM
menced at thaAEorthern end sdTAt
and at Kimbalixhill instead ofsfrom
the southern end. There, has been
an awful howl IN the upper end sdf
the county on account ofssthe roads
being torn up and having to detour
thru deep dust and ruts.
A number of the fellows up there
have declared they would vote
against the present board because
the roads are torn up, and number
of the fellows at Blackfoot have de-
cleared they will vote. for some other
or any other commissioners because
the tearing up was not done down
near Blackfoot. The editor of this
little paper went up and. drove over
all the detours and all the torn7up
sections that were open just to see
how bad twas and to see how
much of the dust and ruts ought to
be charged up to the ding-busted
commissioners. The roads and de-
tours were not half bad excepting
for the speed fiend, and we don't
remember that the present board
ever agreed to furnish him with
dustless roads. That is the exclu-
sive province Of the weather clerk
and the bitulithic roadbed.
A great deal has been said in the
last year, or 50 about the present
board not keeping the roads
dragged, and about letting the bond
roads go to ruin for lack of repairs.
People have visited town and talked
earnestly about that investment flor
100000 not being protected and
about how the roads were going to
pieces as if it were really getting to
be total loss.
On two or three occasions the
editor Of this little sheet took such
talk seriously and went out and
drove over the roads named, and
studied them carefully. The worst
we ever found was ruts in muddy
weather and a few broken places,
where the substrata was sandy, in
dry weather, and a slight rut or
wheel path where the uncrushed
gravel was used for top coating.
None of these things were very .ex-
tensive and we felt that whatever
blunders had been made in construc-
tion CT the bond roads, the people.
who were doing the worrying over
the way they were "going to pieces"
were exaggerating the case or were
more scared than hurt.
Last spring the main roads were
dragged where they were rough or
rutty, and in our travels of the
spring and summer to visit and in
teryiew 1913 farmers, we did not find
occasion for alarm over the condi-
ton of the roads, tho we did find
broken places that needed repairs,
and we wished the nearest neighbors
had enough local pride to go out
with shovel or scraper for half an
hour and accomplish a real benefit
and saving for themselves and the
public. Of course, we have no right
to ask this of people, but when the
fair board works for two or three
weeks for nothing to put on fair
for public good, and while school
boards work parts of days and
nights now and then for public good
and when members of the CONNER
cial club and Rotary and Kiwanis
leave their business and go out and
work for public good, it would look
f1y11 u RI n ~
scrape or shovel few
bushels ofeearth into a broken place
in the road or mend the approach to
q bridge. n
The present commissioners are
the best informed men in
the county now, regarding. the con-
1ition of the roads and the treasury,
and the way to meet the most press
ing needs. They receive a lump
sum, and not large lump, for their
services, and they have spent their
line very generously going over the
country to learn road conditions so
hey might judge more correctly
what to do with the money avail
able. We believe that thoughtful
men who have observed their man
agement and considered the de-
hands which people made OF them
10 curtail expenses severely, approve
If the most of their work and man.
agement. For our own part, we are
rank to admit that the beginning of |
heir term Of office we did not have |
great confidence in their ability, but
We found they were good students
Ind good stayers, slow to act but |
determined not to act hastily and |
hen regret it.
Later-Since the above article |
vas set in type, the county central
has handed in an article
or publication in this issue, deal
ng with some of the matters re-
erred to in this editorial, and we
'efer the reader to it for a clearer
of county business that
las been acted, upon.
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