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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1921)
THE OREGON STATESMAN, SALEM, OREGON ; " ' " THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 24. 1921 - " ' 3 -, - .ii i m i -i i. N '' '" 1 ' " ' - - - , m Salem Is the Official and Industrial Center of the Great Paved Roads of the State of Oregon, with the Best System in the Entire World Activities 1 11 NEW OREGON HIGHWAY LEGISLATION SOON TO BE EFFECTIVE WILL HELP MATTERS IN MANY WAYS Tic Two Cents a Gallon on Gasoline, with Farm Tractors, Stationary Engines, Boats and Other Industrial Uses Exempted (about 11 Per Cent of Total) Will Bring in About $1,000,000 Annually Auto and Truck Schedules Will In crease Revenues About 25 Per Cent for Former and 10 Per Cent for Latter; While in Most Cases Will Not Be Higher Than Property Tax Would Be; If Lat-j ter Were Paid 1 A': t-t 'i 0" 4Kr jl uri The legislature In the session recently dJournel enacted both creatine and corrective legisla tion and wif particularly favor able to highway matters, provid ing better working" lawa, lncreas 4 revenues, additional bonds for tonitrnction, provision for main tenance, and regulatory means of protecting roads already built from anuse. a ruH bow claims the most progressive read legislation among the states. a. f7.000.000 bond bill provid ing for -additional bond up to the 4 per cent constitutional limit, wis passed In both houses almost withost debate. On the present valuation of the state tnis would bring the bonds authorized up to approximately $40,000,000, of which $20,500,000 have been sold to date. The first bond issues limited the interest rate to 4 per cent and later issues were limited to 41 per cent During the past year this has resulted in a heavy alacoait. .The u present legisla tors has remedied this by per mitting the SUte Highway Com mlisloa to set the-interest rate up to a maximum rate of 6 per cent, or to ask for bida on the inter mit. ,,t I . Authority baa been given the Commission also to Issue short term bonds when it appeared to bt to' the meat Interest ot the itita to do so. This makes it agaeeessary to sell long term ob Hfstlons when the bond, market to low . i -i , .. '' 'V . Iareased revenue was provided to aa additional 1 cent tax on fuoll'jie. A new feature of this bw ts that gasoline used for farm Iricwri, stationary engines, bdata ltd other Industrial' uses are ex empted from the payment of. this tax.! Tbla 'exemption is secured by the consumers on : application to the secretary of atate for re rani ' K.is estimated that only boat 11 percent of the total eon mmptioa would be exempted, fbere has been some doubt ex Jrew-4 as to the constitutionality f the exemption feature, but tne law; is ao drawn that should the fxetiptlon be declared uneonsti frtlonal, the balanee of the. act ould not be voided. It Is esti mated that the total income, in cluding the previous tax of 1 cent p? gallon will amount to approxi mately $1,000,000 per year. It U thought that this Is the most equitable of all the taxes for high ways, as It places the cost on the people who use the roads. A measure of far-reaching Im portance is the act empowering the State Highway Commission to make such changes in the loca tion sot state highways previously located by statute, as in the Judg ment and discretion of the High way Cpm mission would result in letter alignment and more ad vantageous and economical high- wir construction or would con tribute to and afford a better or bow serviceable system of atate highways. The purpose of this measure waa to correct some roundabout locations In the brlgl lal sut highway act. The lerislatn fried to put any new atate high er on tne map. Thirteen new ai highways passed by the 1120 special aesslon and vetoed r the governor' eama un Brain nd the legislature austained the lorernor'a veto. Three more at- wnpta were made this year to Place additional roads on the map i were defeated each time. Jala was a warning to others " main highways now desig- mnn completed first. The) Roosevelt Coast Military Highway, which was first pro d to be constructed In 1918 ,mll,UrT rotd a,onK the coa8t iyr wmcn iz.500.000 was ap- ;."" ftr Tot of the people ik! V wb,b strong representa- .... "a Deen mad for federal iyy as a military necessity. was finally placed upon the state highway map. but no direct ap propriation was made for it. The original highway act. In designating the highway system, provided, that when the roadbed had been graded by the counties to state highway standards, the state should pave. In one In stance, a county has refused to co-operate to the extent of grad ing the roadbed, which threatens to make a gap in an important through highway. New leglsla tlon gives the state the authority to grade the roadbed when the counties refuse, and makes pro vision for refunding the expend! tures by the state on this account from funds due the county from the motor vehicle license receipts. On the recommendation of th governor, the cutting of shrub- ginning and tapering oft to 3 per cent at the completion, with a corresponding saving in interest charges to the contractor. The motor vehicle code has been changed to a considerable extent. A conference looking to ward the adoption of uniform laws in Washington, Idaho and this state waa held, with the re sult that the recommendations of the conference were adopted, which provide for uniform regu lations for drivers, equipment, lights, rules of the road, regis trations, etc.. In the three states. The maximum loads, speed of trucks, license fees, etc., waa worked out separately by each state. In Oregon the new code limits the combined weight of truck and fitted up In the Capitol building, leaving, much expense and adding to the efficiency of operations f tip ' Marion County Shope. y Marion county ha her ; shops out near the end fit Center street, opposite the asylum ground. An other building has oeen aaaea ; aince Uot year. 40 by 64. giving . additional shed room. There la a blacksmith shop, weldlnr outfit, lathe, etc.. and two men are constantly employ ed, and additional men during the busy aeason. Marion county has 2? trucks. 4 caterpillar trucks. 4 big graders. 7 big steam rollers. 1 smaller rol ler for paving work, several amaller grader, several repair outfits and a great many tool. The county baa a big aum of money Invested in equipment, and very little new machinery has been needed lately, or will be ceeded soon; but a good desl of expense is necessary constantly la keeping everything in repair and good working condition. The buildings at the county, storage and repair plant cover a lot ot spare and have cost a large sum of money. Bituminous pavement along the Willamette river on the Salem-Dallas Highway near Salem, paved in 1920 ; AGE OP MAMMALS EXDXXQ MK Oil THE PAVED 1IET ROADS OF MAM COUNTY GOING FORWARD load to a maximum of 22.000 bery or standing timber on the I pounds. On a vehicle having a ngnt ot way ior a state highway, I total tire width of less than 30 except by permission from the inches, the concentrated t weight SUte Highway Commission, waa bearine on the sUrfars of the road KS'Tth. Will Be At Least Twenty Miles of Highway sion to acquire by .purchase, do-having a total tire width of more nation or by condemnation pro- than 30 inches the concentrated feedings a atrip of land on each weight shall not exceed 600 side of the highways for parks, pounds per inch width of tire, camp sites, or the preservation, of Tire width is defined as the width the scenic beauties. of the cross section between the The maintenance of state hlghl flanges at the base ot the tire, as way received attention in the I commonly measured ana ratea by shape of a measure authorizing 1 the manufacturers. Allowable speed limits for trucks are as follows: k Not In excess of miles per hour. STATE HIGHWAY AND MARKET BOAOS : REPAIR PLANTS ARE LOGATED HERE In This County Treated to the "Hot Stuff" This Year, And the Total Good Roads Expenditure For Old Mar ion in 1921 Will be Over $600,000 Getting Up Out of the Mud and in Out of the Dust, and Old Marion Being Made Over. co-operative agreements between the State Highway Commission and the counties as to division of maintenance cost on state high ways after Improvement by the state. In the event that the coun ties refuse to co-operate, author ity is given the State Highway Commission to take over the en tire maintenance and collect not over SO per cent of the cost from the delinquent county out of the motor vehicle fees or other funds due the county. The State High way Commission announced that, notwithstanding the new law. In view of the Increased gasoline tax. the Commission would meet the total expense of, maintaining the state highways which had been improved by the state for the next two years. The State Highway department revolving fund, used to meet cur- m h h is li "5 5 s; s c . I --2 i i ! . a J Bm 5 '--5 -f-S o 6500 lbs. 30 25 '8 . 9500 lbs. 25 20 8 12500 1b. 22 18 8 16500 lbs. 20 15 8 22000 lbs. 18 12 8 The present law bases the lic ense fees on trucks on manufac turers rated capacity. This waa obviously unfair, as the ratings and rent payroll obligations and em- varied, to such a great extent that ergency purchases, was increased trucks of equal weight and capac- from $30,000 to $75,000. also the ity built by different manufactu- statutory limit of $5000 on the rers paid different license fees. A State Highway engineer's salary new schedule was provided- In the was removed and the Commission new law based on tire widths, given authority to fix the rate. An attempted raid by the city or Portland to secure a portion of Multnomah county's share of the motor vehicle ' license was frustrated, as it was feared that other cities would endeavor to dip into county road funds. A measure which may become of far-reaching Importance in the fnture is the district bonding bill, which will permit districts of any size to bond themselves for high way improvement. Under this law a district may be formed out of a few small communities who wish to build a connecting road to the main highway, or it is elas tic enough to permit the forma tion of districts which . may in clude parts of several ' counties which are interested In the con struction of through highways. A requirement of the law Is that the boundaries of the districts must be approved by the State Highway Commission and that surveys and specifications for the roads must be made by the mgn way department. Of interest to contractors is an amendment permitting payment up to 97 per cent of estimates earned by the contractors. The old law reqiUred the Commission to retain 15 per cent of amounts earned until rthe contracts were completed and the work accepted by the engineer. The new law will permit of a graduated scale of retained percentage, a greater amount being retained at the be- which. meets this objection. License fees for Trucks trailers: 0000007 -s m 2 (t i t t J f 1 U U M u H 1 B 3 D 3 B 3 3 O O O O rt . xr tr er vr g- sr im m at a 0 n o B 3 B a o B tr a & a & & c B 3 B 3 B " O O O O O . t 2 a 5 s w to . B 3 B B B t n n n n 3 e f tr 1 a a a . 3 - sr I :::::: 2 fc t o o e- 2 -22 O O d W t" O t' J 3 Horsepower is used as a basis of I determining the present auto- At a special election held on , June 3. 1919. the county court of Marion county was authorized to sell bonds in the amount of $850. 000. to be used for permanent road construction, to be met by a like amount to be raised by direct taxes. A Market Road program was marked out and 34 different roads designated as Market Roads: the system provided for the Improvement of the roads con necting all the cities and towns in the county; the amount to be expended on the different roads being determined by tne assessed valuation of the property In the several market districts to be ben efited. The work was commenced im mediately following the election. and during the summer and fall of 1919 much grading and rock ing was done and 2 4 miles of paving laid. During the year 1920 the work went ahead rapidly: two new navinz slants were put up. one at Aumsville and another at Mt Angel. Fifty, miles of roads mobile license fee. A new scbed ule based upon weight of cars has been arranged which appear to be more equitable in that the i heavier cars pay more in propor tion to the damage they do to the roads. Schedule for automoble license fees: DATES OF SLOGANS IN DAILY STATESMAN (In Twice-a-Wcek Statesman Following Day) Loganberries. Oct. 7. Fran!, Oct. 14. Dairying, Oct 21. " riiOct. 2$. ru. r6v. 4. ' ' J'nta, Nov. 11. -'brr1w. Nov. 18. WK Not. 25. Sr? Dec. 16. berries. Dec 2$. rtes. Dec. 20. U wrrlea and Currants, Jan ' Jjan. 20. Jan. 27. . ?'"'. -Feb. 3. M ng. March 3. March 10. V B?I n,8hw,Jr. March 24. . Apm 7i 7 Pr 21. , :!, ru 28. 1700 lbs or less. 1700-2100 lbs. .. 2100-2500 lbs. . . 2500-2900 lbs. .. 2900-3300 lbs. .. 300-3700 lbs. ., 3700-4100 lbs. . 4000-4500 lbs. . 4500-4900 lbs. . ..$15.00 22.00 ... 28.00 ... 34.00 . .. 40.00 ... 47.00 ... 55.00 . .. 62.00 ... 71.00 were drained, graded and rocked and 10 miles of pavement laid. During the present year the work will go forward on a larger scale yet. if all the bonds offered for aale by the county are taken the Indications being that they will be. as $145,000 has already been sold and bids for $79,000 more are to be opened on Aprl, 4 th. The last amount, together with a like amount raisea oy uireci taxes, will b spent on the roads immediately around Salem, and it is generally believed that busi ness interests here will see tnai these bonds are taken, aa it means the expenditure of more than $150,000 here, and the em ployment of much labor. The program near Ralem calls for connecting up the paving work between Salem and Turner and between Salem and Silver ton; a large amount of work on the Riverside Drive, and the roads leading to the state institutions. Gravel bunkers have been put in near St. Paul, and 10.000 yards of gravel will be put in on the roads in that vicinity; a contract has been let for 3500 yards cf gravel to go on the roads near, Hubbard and Aurora. A new paving plant Is being constructed at Scollard, one mile west' of Woodburn, and paving will go forward from that point on the Woodburn and St. Paul road, and on the Woodburn and Mt. Angel road. It will be noted that in Oregon no property tax Is paid. on auto mobiles, this having been elimin ated by the 1919 legislature, it having been found by actual sta tistics that 50 pet cent of the owners were evading the tax. The total license fees charged in most cases are less than the property tax would be, particularly on the old cars. The new schedule on automo biles will, it is estimated, produce 25 per cent more revenue than the previous schedule and the truck schedule 10 per cent more. There la a group of buildings out at the end of State street, op posite the penitentiary, on aiaie grounds, that occupy several acre of floor space. These are the rhops and storage rooms 01 me State Highway department: the mechanical and repair brancn 01 this great service. Sinee last year neat offlct building 20 by 60 baa been con ..trnHfd also three additional sbeda for the storing of equip ment. There seems no end to the mi'nirrniiiti under the latter head. The ahop are equipped with up to date machinery and appliances nf all kinds for the rebuilding and Irlnr of road machinery and equipment of all kinds. The whole plant, with equipment and road machinery and appliances, repre sents a million and a halt dollars of money and more. The state has received from the United States government 22 five ton trucks. 21 four-ton. 16 three and a half ton. 89 three-ton, 148 two-ton. 7 ton and a half trucks, and one half-ton truck. Also 15-ton Cleveland tractor, 138 Holt! tractors of. 120 horse power, two tractor trucks, an asphalt paving plant, a 120-ton locomotive, a 16 ton roller. 18 wagons, two con crete mixers. 33 passenger auto mobiles, 10 motorcycles, and tanks, pumps, forges, ranges, re pair parts, etc.. etc.. worm aooui 11.400.000. and also 765.000 rounds of TNT high explosives and 50.000 pounds ot black pow dr. and 250.000 blasting Caps. otc. 200.000 Bounds of the TNT being yet on hand for this year The beginning ot the ag of man. some SO 0,0 00 year ago, roughly estimated aa the elosa of the age of mammal, marks , la reality bat the beginning ot the close ot the age ot mammal. The extinction of the most superb mammals that the earth ha aver produced, during the early atage ot human evolution, pro greased from natural cause due directly or Indirectly to the gladal epoch. With th Introduction ot firearm the destruction baa proceeded with increasing rapidity, and to by the bh of at a mora ever. middle of this century man will be alone amid the rain ot th mammalian world, ha ha destroyed, th period of th ag to 75 or more men constantly cm- f mmmu.vWUI J eBurt lJ. ployed. There were 56 yeter- ' -..TtTi The State Was an Investment of What Stands for a Mil- lion and a Half Dollars and More, ana Manon boun ty Has a Big Sum of Money in Machinery For the ...a a a la -. - I . a . Making of Permanent Hignways ana. Keeping .mem In Repair. , day. have reached a numerical climax, from which soma statisticians bo- There Is also maintained here wlII probably recede. b- a department testing laooratory. caasa w are approaching th to test the samples ot an roaa ana 1 point of th overpopulation or. in bridge materials; and 3300 m-1 earth la three of the rive great pies were tested laat year: continents. (Heary rairfleld in There Is also a blueprint room .-aiarai msiory.j THE on G1EL com is : ' ADDED A NUMBER QF IHE'flUS It is Now in Position to Turn Out, and Does Turn Out, A Superior Product Also, This Company is Putting In a Cement Brick Factory Which Will Furnish Em ployment to an Additional Large Working Force. - The navine plane at Mt. Angel will be operated and paving laid work on the roads in that vicinity; aiso hl, . of the highway . . . . - . 1 1 1 Cvm I ' " . - - me piani i Auuiiiiiic. 1 iwlu 1 this plant work will be done near Turner and towards Sublimity and Stayton. A"crushinr and gravel plant will be constructed at Stayton and much work done from there on the Mehama road and on the road towards West Stayton. Work on the' Creen Bridge road and the Sidney roads near 'Jef ferson will be carried forward. The program calls for improve ments on all the Market Roads. Special taxes have been voted in 20 road districts for addition al imrjrotements. In all. over $600,000 will be available for road improvement. Work Soon to- Commence. The grading and rock work on (Continued on page 4.) department are available for wora for the various institutions ana departments of the state, each be ing charged cost prices; the same is. true of various road projects, so that this work is all on a self supporting basis. After distributing some 134 trucks to the counties of the state, the highway department still has 187 trucks, and it has also 124 passenger cars for its use. From thP latter statement may be garn ered something of the great ex- tent or the' work in hand, needing superintendence. C. U Grutze has charge of the equipment department, and W. H. Hurtis is automotive engineer at the state shops, and has been there ever since that work started with one man. There are now 56 The Oregon Gravel company. 1405 Front street, has made num erous improvements la Its plant during the past year and la now putting a railroad spur irom me Oregon Electric tracks to the river side of the bunker. Thl pur will Im about 900 feet lone, ana 11a estimated cost will approximate ssooo. It will be completed la a week or ten day and will greatly farilitato the shipment by rail ot the output of the plant. With thla sour in operation the gravel to be supplied to -the Marlon county paving plant now under construc tion at Scollard can bo ahipped nnirklv and economically. In connection with , it . gravel plant, the company has now In op rfctloii a large Allia-Chalmers gy- rtor crusher, which handlea the lareer rocks and crushea them to the desired size. It has a capacity of 150 yards a aay. Ia order to further crash th output ot thl gyrator, . th com pany la soon to pat In. some Zixl rollers which will provide the very finest quality of finely crushed rock much superior to the finest screened gravel. . - The Oregon Gravel company Is not satisfied to remain simply a sand and gravel concern, but will soon complete a large Shop Brick plant on the premises. The brick w&ich ar iacea wun con crete are very attractive la ap pearance and ot much greater strength and durability than th ordinary burned clay brick. Thla brick plant will ba a new Indus try for Salem and will afford em ployment tor quit a number ot people. The Oregon Gravel company 1 to be commended for it enter prise. - Drug garden. May 6. Sugar beetsl May 12. Sorghum,-May 19. . Pahhaire. May 26. Poultry and Fet Stock, June 2 I .and. June 9. Dehydration. June 16. Hons. June 23. Wholesale and Jobbing, June 30. Cucumbers, July 7. Itnvn J lit V '14. : nt Tteantiful. flower and bulb. July 21. Schools. July 28. Sheep. Aug. 4. National Advertising, Aug. 11. Seeds.' Attn. 1. - livestock. Aug. 25. Automotive Industry, Sept. 1. Grain and Grain Products. Sept. 8. Manufacturing. Spt. 13. Woodworking and other things. Sept. 22. Paper Mill. Sept. 29. fBark copies of Salem Slogan pdltlons of The Daily Oregon Ktatemn are on hand They are for sale at 10c each, mailed to any addrcsB4 V. v 1 j 4- . 1 . ! L Sand, Gravel, Screenings, A " Crushed Rock, Cement q FOR SALE Prompt Deliveries j X By Auto truck I! S. 4' ! or Wagon ANYWHERE Phone 180 For Pricei ' TV OREGON GRAVEL COMPANY IJ. C. MILES, Mzr. 140.1N. Front Strctl SALEBI, ORE. ' Between Salem gnd Jefferson on the Pacific iiiirajr Jn JIarion county; paved in 1020. -..i 3 d y e f 1. r m 1- r-1-y c t d it t- .t S h t 11 ft M I r a y U 1. n n. r. w- r n 1- it a tr n -.t t- is g n t- o it o n e y ;r r 0 o lr a is y i d t - M It e i- .f e . e n e e d a k e g a 1 t 1 0 f a t r . a C . a f a