The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-10-15

10 years with $16,OOO,OOO, making total sum
of SS6,OOO,OOO to be expended on arterial roads |
at the rate of s3,6OO,OOO per year.
The promoters of the measure claim that the en- |
cheering cost will amount to but per cent of the
total expenditure: but they don't tell that this
per cent all out of the money raised by the
state, and none out of the Federal Aid, making
instead of per cent of the total amount about
II per cent of the $2O,OOOOOO raised by the state
gas tax or $34000OO, which leaves about $16OOO,-
900 of the gas tax to meet the Federal Aid $780,
100000.
In fact the per cent engineering estimate
is only conjecture, and is an item that cannot be
computed with any accuracy. 1t will probably be
twice that amount and the per cent does not
include other overhead which will increase like
the green bay tree, the work progresses.
The Federal Aid argument is the only argu-
ment the Highway promoters have: we answer the
same by saying that experience has proven that
we will get more and better roads,, when built by
the counties, for $2O,OOO,OOO than we will for the
100000 when built by the yelow-legged breth-
ern Of the State Highway Commission-that the
Federal Aid all goes for fat when roads are built
by the State Highway Commission-and for fur
Their answer we say, that the State of Montana
/
twice that of Minnesota, cannot afford to match
dollars with the Federal government on the basis
that the smaller and more populous states to the
east can. Besides our small population and large
area, large part of our area is mountainous, re-
quiring fabulous sums to make roads up to gov
eminent specifications passing through totally un-
inhabited territory to connect isolated cities and
national parks, for the benefit Of summer hotel
keepers, while in the east end of the state the
roads can be built for a third or a fourth of the
amount required in the west, hence the east end
pays for the building of roads in the west end tax
ing money needed for producers roads to build
sightseers roads.
The side roads connecting the county seat with
the arteral highways is sucker bait to catch votes
for the measure-the road will probably be built.
but when?
The main roads will be built frst-those, cross
ing the state and connecting the large cities and
TO the mountain parks-when this is done we will
get our side roads connecting the county roads
in the rural countless if there happens to be anv
money left, and then you may bet they will be
built only after all of the main roads have been
constructed, about ten years from now
And how many wheat growers can use these
roads in getting the crop to the elevators?
I No dear voter, the present method is the best
1t will be calamity if initiated Measure No. 81
be enacted into law. It will mean expensive main
roads with no side roads,
! If the bill passes there will be but little work
done on the lesser roads, in the country, while the
work will start on large scale on main roads
for the use of tourists
Who is behind this Measure 81?
Hotelkeepers, towns on the main roads, gas sell
ers, and finally contractors and engineers. i
means prosperity for them-it means fat days FOL
them, but dam lean ones for the farmers.
In order to defeat this measure it is necessar,
for every citizen opposed to it to vtoe: for the
voters in the cities, who own cars and do no
haul grain are going to vote for it. everyone
This Is serious business for the farmers of Sher
idan county-its defeat depends upon YOU Yol
cannot stay at home election day and expect t
get any roads to your farms in the next ten years
Not only must you vote yourself, but you mus
see to it that your wife and neighbor votes as well
If this measure passes you are going to be sorry
So vote against Good Roads in Montana"