The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-02-01
QUESTIONS ARE
BEFORE SENATE
Senator Sheehan Says Road Building g
and Prohibition Questions Are
Moot Important of Any Yet
Before the Legislature

"There are two questions which
will come up in the senate next
week that are difficult of solution"
said Senator Sheehan of this county
last Saturday, upon his arrival here
to attend a meeting of taxpayers
held Saturday evening. "The first
is the prohibition question and the
second is the proposal to expend
huge sums for road building. Both
are very hard to vote upon, too,
for the division Of opinion is such
that it is impossible to determine
exactly what it is that the people
want.
"As to the prohibition matter, a
member of the legislature is be-
tween the devil and the deep blue
sea, for no matter how he. votes he
is bound to find large number of
people who will blame for his
vote. So the only thing for him
to do is to size up the situation
and vote as he sees best. There are
many phases Of the prohibition mat
ter to consider, but the one that
strikes me most forcibly is that if
the state law is done away with
considerable expense will be saved
to taxpayers. If the law is repealed
it will put enforcement up to fed
eral officials, and as the government
receives practically all fines it is
right that the government should
bear the brunt of the expense of en-
forcing the law. But as | said, no
matter what is done it is bound to
result in a great deal of criticism.
l don't know yet how l will vote.
ION the road question l ask,
Can we do it?' And if we go
ahead with the plan as mapped out
now will we be able to keep going
without swamping the taxpayers.
1t is serious question, tell you,
and one that is going to require a
great deal of work and thought.
The budget provides for state ex-
penditures for road purposes, dur
ing the next two years, a total of
something like FIVE million dollars.
Can the state stand it,"
Concerning the proposal to bond
Humboldt county for 100000 to
build 22 miles of road north to
Paradise Hill and to complete prof.
ects now mapped out for the Vic
tory highway, Senator Sheehan said:
For my part, l don't want to
see the road north of Paradise Hill
put under government rule, for the
reason that the county simply can't
stand the expense attached to build
ing and maintaing the road at
the terrific expense that has charac-
terized the building of highways
under government regulations SO
far. 1t is all right to accept
government aid on the road as far
at Paradise Hill, if that is what the
people want, but l believe that the
balance of the construction and re-
pair work can be done by the coun-
ty alone in a satisfactory manner
and at a great saving to the tax
payers.
"The road to Paradise Hill is go
ing to cost Humboldt county, am
informed by the highway depart
ment, about $4,000, to which the
government will add $197 900. To
McDermitt 1t Is 80 miles. Figure
four times the cost to this county
of $4,000 for the % miles to
Paradise Hill and you have an idea
of what the completed road would
cost-something like $4,000 to
the county If that were all it
would not be SO bad, but when we
accept government funds for build
ing We bind ourselves to forever
maintain that road. The highway
department figures it would cost a
total of 1861 900 to build the road
to McDermitt and $1,S0e,0oO to
DEMO, the county to pay one-fourth
of those sums and agree to main
tain forever.
Another Humboldt county road
project is that of the Victory high
way from Valmy to Stonehouse, ten
miles, which will cost the govern
ment $10,743,30 and the county
$3,581.10. Another is the road from