The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-05-03

surfaced with mill tailings. and l..
miles Of concrete pavement making d
total of 227.S miles of highways. In
addition to the highway mileage. we
have ia wooden bridges and con-
crete bridges within the county
Every foot of this mileage except
the short strip of pavement. and
many of the wooden bridges. some of
which were erected more than % years
ago. require annual maintenance and
represent large outlay of money.
1T is well known fact that the
main highway between Mullan and
Cataldo. surfaced with mill tailings
and carrying the heaviest traffic in
the county. requires considerably
more than half of the total expendi-
lures for highway purposes each year.
Maintenance charges on this highway
are bound to increase as traffic in
creases. Portions of it require new
surfacing each year. and before mid
season will be in a worn out condi-
ton with surface practically gone in
spite of close attention and frequent
grading
Get Benefit of Gasoline Tax.
with the main highway rebuilt to
conform to the present state stand
ards we would receive a fair return
from the proceeds of the new gas tax
law now in force, to be applied on the
cost of maintaining our highway As
it stands today, we will contribute to
this fund between $4,000 and $4,000
this year. of which amount less than
$500 will be returned to us. The rea-
son is-our highways are below stan
dard and the state will not apportion
moneys from the gas tax fund. or any
other fund, for the upkeep or mainte-
standard.
"Odr maintenance costs over the
past 1O-year period have been ex-
tremely high and after a careful an
alysis of the various items making up
this expense, we frankly admit we
have yet to find a method or system
by which any material reduction can
be made. Some slight reductions may
be made by reducing the number of
laborers in the various road crews,
but the greatest expense, made up
from the operation of fleet of heavy
trucks. hauling and spreading tailings
on the highway having the heaviest
traffic, followed by other trucks and
teams pulling graders in an effort to
keep the tailings on the wearing sur
face of the highway, constitutes a
problem yet unsolved. The use of
teams for haulage is unsatisfactory
except in cases of a short haul and
our average haul is above two miles,
and in some places more than five.
"a heavily loaded 5-ton truck in
constant operation, handled by a driv
er at IS a day. consuming an average
of about 20 gallons of gas and one 20
two quarts of oil daily, plus your cost
of tires and necessary repairs. multi
piled by nine, the number of trucks
now owned by the county. will result
in the payment of bills at the end of
each quarter aggregating a stagger-
ing amount.
with this situation confronting us
we are forced to acknowledge that the
day of the dirt road for handling traf-
fc as heavy as ours is has passed.
I'VE can continue to spend large
sums of money on the present high
way. and have nothing in the end;
we must have something better and
we believe it is now within our reach
without any increase in the present
rate of taxation.
"Mr. Hall has given us the follow
ing estimated cost as a working basis
on a program which would pave the II
miles between Mullan and Kellogg
and place the remaining portion of
the main highway up to state stand
ards in grade width and curvature.
Estimated Cost.
Road improvements across
county (Which would place
entire main highway up to
state standard .....-.-...-....-... 1886, 10000
Paving II miles, Mullan to
Kellogg, at $4,000 per
mile ............ ..................... S4O,OOOOO
Plus 1919 for contingencies. 6O,675.OO
Making a total of ...--..--......--S 1861, 425.OO
Say an approximate cost Of 675,0O0.OO
Apportionment of Cost.
Federal aid available, at
$50 .....-........... .............-s S7S 100000
Shoshone county, at 44%5~~- 297OOO-OO