rHE C oquille H erald VOL. 35, NO. 33 COQUILLE, COOS COUNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1917. FOR BETTER HIGHWAYS SOME BOOSTS FOR BETTER ROADS AND THE BIG BOND ISSUE Many Reasons Why Our Voters Should Support The Movement 1 hat Will Pull This Part of Oregon Out of the Mud. According to the figures which have just been compiled, the cost of engi neering to Coos county on the roads improved under the bond issue has been less than the premium of approx imately $12,500, which was received on the sale of the bonds, by more than $2,000. As all engineering costs were assumed by the State Highway department April 1, 1917, Coos coun ty will be able to spend more actual money than the $302,000 of bonds vot ed in actual construction. Engineering expenses on the bond issue projects up to April 4 , 1917, amounted to $10,150.33, or 2.71 per cent of the total amount available un der the bond issue. These expendi tures include all charges of whatever nature which could be culled either engineering or administrative, includ ing office supplies and expenditures incurred by the County Court in se curing rights of way, abstracting deeds, advertising bonds, etc. The in dividual expenditures for each project have been as follows: Coquille-Marshfield Road . . . $2,537.68 Bandon-Curry County Road. 2,116.80 Coquille-Myrtle Point Road. 1,556.03 Coquille-Bandon Road.......... 1,819.35 Coos Bay north Road............ 2,120.41 The above cost covers all of the preliminary surveys on forty-five miles of road and it includes the prep aration of maps, profiles and esti mates in accordance with the regula tions of the Federal government, and the preparation of the specifications for this mileage. It also includes the final locations for twenty-six mile3 which are frequently loft until the work is under contract. On his recent visit to Coos county, State Highway Engineer Herbert Nunn advised County Roadmaster R. B. Murdock that he was very anxious to have the contracts for road improvement under Coos county’s bond issue let at the earliest possible date. He gave three very pertinent reasons for immediate action: First, to reduce overhead engineer ing expense which might be excessive if work were delayed over a long period. Second, to take advantage of the dry season which will insure better bids. Third, more proposals will be re ceived and more responsible contrac tors will bid if the proposals are open ed before general (work ! starts all along the Coast. Roadmaster Murdock has called the attention of the County Court to Engi neer Nunn’s desire and urged that the Coos Bay north section and the Co quille-Myrtle Point section be adver tised as soon as possible. The Coale- do-Coquille section is already being advertised, and the Coquille-Bandon section still requires that considerable right of way be secured before the contract can be let. If Coos county roads are in shape, there will be a considerable amount of sight-seeing done by the visiting bankers who come to Marshfield June 8th and 9th for the State Bankers’ convention. Many of the bankers have expressed a desire to come to Coos Bay by automobile and J. H. Booth, Un?f -d SfnVr.s S -president of the Douglas County Na tional Bank at Roseburg, has been appointed to report on road condi tions. He has called the matter to the attention of the Douglas County Court and if the weather is favorable he expects to arrange to have the Roseburg-Myrtle Point road in shape to serve the visiting bankers. In case the Six Million Dollar Bond Issue is passed on June 4th, it will be possible for Coos county to assure the bankers that at some later date they can motor to Coos Bay in com fort. If the bonds are not voted, It will not be possible for the State Highway Commission to be as liber al in providing for the improvement of the road from Coos Bay to the out side. If the Six Million Dollar Bond Is- j sue is voted by the people of Oregon June 4th, there is a prospect of the early improvement, with State and j Federal funds, of the road through ! Curry county and the opening of the [ road from Coos Bay to the Umpqua. At a recent meeting of the State Highway Commission with the rep ! resentatives of the Forest Service, it I was agreed that Federal and State funds to the amount of approximately j $100,000 would be available to the im provement of the Curry county road j and the Reedsport project. The ex- | penditure of these fnuds, which it is j understood are to be divided equally, will be contingent upon similar expen- j ditures by the counties. Coos county has already provided to meet her share of the appropriation with the funds raised by last year’s bond issue. In case the Six Million Dollar Bond Issue does not carry, it will probably be impossible to divert the State and Federal money into this section as there are other Forest Roads much nearer the centers of population, par ticularly along the Columbia river, which under the present plan will be taken care of by the State bond issue. Several months in the year children in many Coos county school districts use the Southern Pacific tracks as a thoroughfare. The $6,000,000 State road bonds will provide money to pave the road from Marshfiedl to Myrtle Point. There are five schools on this road and if the children are given the paved road instead of the choice between mud and the railroad they will be removed from the danger of passing log trains. ' The esthetic value of roads well built and clean is sometimes reluc tantly conceded or in some cases de nied by individuals. It may be no ticed, however, that a)ong improved roads there is a tendency of farmers to improve the appearance of their homes and farm buildings. The pres ence of good roads seems in many cases to stimulate latent self respect into practical expression. There is no wonder that a bog of well-nigh impassible mud before one’s door should rfeact unfavorably upon the entire family. The improved road not only has an esthetic value in it self but it is potent in awakening the dwellers along its borders to a sense ( of esthetic values in farm buildings i and home surroundings. n-Dreadnought Arkansas trunk lines will be used on laterals and other less traveled roads if the good roads bond issue is voted by the people at the June election. Clackamas county, the home of C. E. Spence, Grange leader, who is oppos- i ig the road bond bill, is reported to have spent $3,000,000 oil roads in the last ten years and has three or four miles of good roads to show for it. In 1910 the people of California voted bonds to the amount of $18,000,000 for good roads by a small majority. I-ast Fall by a 4 to 1 vote they approved a further bond issu * of $15,000,000 for the same purpose. Californians know a good investment when they see it. All are agreed that Oregon needs good roads The only material differ ence of opinion is as to the method of financing the movement—direct taxa- t on or bonds based on a revenue al- r a«ly provided by law. The fact that taxis are already l uni* ns. me is the very best tu'gu.neni for issuing bonds. The combined revenue from an increas ed auto license and ti <• « xisting state road tax will pay ine interest and re tire at n uri:. the r.ds o pposed in the good roads bid. The people will vote on ti.i . . ! ' ’ I i! pedal election June 4th. “ Stop renting your roads-buy them." “ Paying as we grow is better than paying as we go” was one of the point ed remarks of Highway Commissioner Adams when he recently addressed a meeting of Portland realty men. People won’ t go back to the farm until they have roads to get there. Assist the “ Back to the l arm" move ment by voting for the road bond bill at the June election. Place the burden of building the roads on those who wear them out—the automobiles. The state license on au tomobiles has been doubled and the owners of these machines are willing to pay the increased fee. All they ask is that the money so raised shall be ex pended in construction of good loads. Vote for the road bond bill and assist to bring that about. Auto license fees alone will pay all the costs—principal and interest—of the $6,000,000 road bond bill and leave a substantial balance for other roads. And all this without an additional cent of taxation for the farmer. Every automobile owner in the state should vote for the $6,000,000 road bond bill. His licence tax was doubled by the last legislature and he will have to pay the increased fee anyway. If the road bonds are voted at th • special election in June, the money derived therefrom is to be expended in the con struction of a system of state-wide hard-surfaced roads. Harvey G. Starkweather of Milwau- kie, Clackamas county, for 23 years a member of the Grange and who assist ed in drafting the rural credits legisla tion in this state, has the following to say in approval of the pending $6,000,- 000 road bond bill: “ I am not pre pared to say whether this bill i3 as good as the one proposed by the State Grange committee or not, but the ques tion now up to the Oregon voter is upon the bond issue, and speaking from the standpoint of a farmer and Granger since 1894 I feel that the state’s inter est will be best served by an affirma tive vote on the measure next June, and 1 sincerely hope when the whole question has been carefully studied that the Grangers of the Mate, includ ing the State Master, will be found on the side of progress, assisting to pu 11 Oregon out of the mud." “ A good road is a thing that will last forever, when properly kept in repair," remarks an exchange. “ The next gen eration has no right to be enjoying an improvement that their fathers sweat to pay cash for. The children of today can use the improved roads in going to school so why shouldn’ t they help pay for them. Under a bonding system the cost is distributed over a long period of (Continued on page 4) In building roads today, the high way engineer must harmonize’ a num ber of conflicting elements in deciding upon the surface he will put down. There are horses, autos und property owners along the roud and all have a direct interest in the carpet that shall be laid upon the roadway. The property owm rs do not want dust, nor do they want an undue amount of noise. II. ses want a sur face that shall give a foothold for the animals, as well as a smooth surface that shall offer a minimum of fric tion to the passing wheels of the wagon. The motor interests want a non-skidding surface, yet smooth Hard surface pavement is the one road finishing material that offers a satisfactory answer to all demands. It is a modern way of making roads, other and older methods savor of the (¡in past. Macadam was for a long time the ideal road making material I ul it i: n > longer able to meet the traffic demands. It has been super- ccdeu by ihe smooth, uniform liuul surface on roads carrying heavy traf fic. Bond issues provide the funds in a I lump sum to carry out the whole im- | provement. The money is at once available and the work can be carried j cn in wholesale fashion instead of the piecemeal construction favored in | other days. This is the cheapest way I of doing the work, the most perms- | nent results are obtained and it is I not extravagance but economy in road j building. — The Roosevelt Commission on coun try life reported that education and good roads are the two needs most frequently mentioned at the hearings, which are held throughout the coun try. This was in the year 1909, and while there has been a great advance made since that time, it is but a be ginning in dealing with the good roads problem. But how can rural districts get good schools until they have good roads to reach the schools? Good schools must have good teachers, and teachers must be well paid or good ones will not be attracted. In other words, large schools, with many pu pils, are the only ones to which good teachers car. be supplied. This means concentration into cen ters and this also means gool roads to reach them or children do not go. In Germany, illiteracy is about three hundredths of one per cent, while in the United States it is over 250 times greater. What a reflection upon rhe roads of this country such a Condition is! What is true of the schools is also true of the churches and their intlu- ence upon the life of the community. If country people cannot get to church over good roads, many of them do not go as often as they otherwise would. But it is the economic side of our problems that really give rise to a de sire for good roads in this country. Everyone is in favor of good roads and, apparently, has been in this frame of mind for a lnog time and yet, in the aggregate, we have but few really good roads in this country. In the first place, it is surprising that many people do not know that it is only the hard road that can be a I good road every day of the year. This may be due to the fact that they have never used a hard road. Until they do see and use one, they cannot real- j ize what it means to them in de- | creased hauling cost and greater val- ue of thier lands and they will op pose thereafter the building of the ! usual country road. No one would want to go back to ihe old methods of doing things even I if it were possible. The new way means progress and betterments for j everyone. There is economy in the ' operation of motor vehiclcs.More mile age can be covered and more tonnage moved with the modern vehicles than with the old. The motor car is con venient and promotes better methods of living. It brings contentment and comfort to people of the rural dis- tricts. Automobiles are bringing with them a great army of good roads ad- voeates. For roads passable at all seasons of the year for autos, as well ns for horses, must lie good roads, not the old mud highways that have been in vogue in this country for far too long a time. And those who are giving thought to the roads problems of the country are tearing that good roads, of first clasv-; construction and hard surface, really cost no more than the old, ne glected roads, which are really the most expensive highways that can be l uilt in any man’s country. B U S I N C O l- l M READY : Furniture ' ' and Fixtures in Piace Tomorrow F. B. Anderson announced in an in terview this morning that all the fur niture and fixtures of the business college will arrive and be in place by tomorrow (Wednesday) evening. The chairs and tables are now in plhce and the typewriters will arrive today and will soon lie unboxed and in place. j Arrangements have been made with ■=-.i r: Knowlton’s Drug Store and Fuhr- man’s 1'harmacy whereby all texts and supplies will lie carried constant ly in stock. Sixty pupils have already enrolled and it is hoped this number will be AZk swelled to one hundred. Accommo Good Roads Pointers dations have already been made for (This information is furnished by the this number and more can easily be Fhotn :»y American Press Association. publicity bureau of the Legislative arranged for on short notice. The trtMr. is Is n 2*1.000 ton vessel. 562 feet long. She carries twelvt ■ Good Roads Tommittee, 310-311 Selling The faculty of the school for the tv ,clv c Inch guns, and It takes l.ot.S officers and uien to run her. present will consist of F. B. Ander j Building, Portland, Oregon.) County money now spent on main * son, H. O. Anderson and Mrs. N. B. PER Y E A R $1.50 DOUGLAS IS TO IMPROVE Scott. F. B. Anderson will have charge of the accounting department while H. O. Anderson will teach the academic branches. The Stenograph ic Course will be under the care of Mrs. Scott. The former two are well known to the people of this section. Mrs. Scott is a thoroughly trained of fice woman. This experience has in cluded court reporting. It might be mentioned in this connection that this school is offering to its pupils trained teachers, accountants and court re- proters, people who have actually made their living it the exact occupa tions they teach. Commencement Week TW O MILES MORE WILL BE PUT IN YEAR ROUND SHAPE SOON Survey Is Completed and Court W ill No Doubt Order W ork Begun at Next Meeting— Planking W ill Be Used for Surface. County Surveyor M. B. Germond about 1200 feet in length there is ab arrived in the city yesterday evening solutely no change in levels, although the surrounding country is very after completing a survey of the first rough. The road winds a good deal, two miles of highway through the but on curves easily negotiated and Coquille canyon, on the Roseburg- which adds rather than detracts from Myrtle Point road. He will immed the beauty of the highway. The road is to be planked for the iately set to work in preparing his plans and specifications and expects j entire two miles according to present to have them ready for the next term plans, and although no etsimate has | been announced or prepared in any of the county court. His survey starts from the end of | way it is the belief that the cost will the new planking in Camas valley and \ be between twelve and fifteen thous i' jllows the course of the Coquille riv- and dollars for the entire improve i for a trifle more than two miles. ment. It is very probable that the Surveyed on a line following closely county court will pass an order at its the banks of the river the road makes next session authorizing a contract long sweeping curves with the water tor the work and that grading will be on one side and the massive trees of begun within a few weeks. With a two-mile improvement by one of the finest forests on the Pacific coast on the other, making one of the the county, only six miles remain be most scenic roads to be found in the tween Douglas and Coos counties, a ; stretch lot almdst impassable road country. Mr. Germond has planned a road which prevents the linking of two of which will be inexpensive in construc the most productive sections of the tion considering the nature of the state, The county, however, is with country through which the thorough out means to make the entire im fare is built, one which will cost but provement, under present conditions, little for upkeep and which can be but in the event that the county bond traveled at all times of the year at a issue is approved by the people at the grade of less than two per cent for June election $50,000 will be appro- the entire distance. The route is con ! i railed to complete this improvement sidered remarkable for this one fea in a permanent manner, making a ture, as previously the road has reach highway which will be open all the ed as high as twenty-five per cent, year round. With state aid it will while only a slight deviation from the probably be hard surfaced for the present course brings it to grounds greater part of the distance and Ruse- over which a vehicle can travel with fcurg will have an outlet for auto practically no noticeable difference in truck travel throughout the seasons. the grade of the bed. On one stretch - Roseburg News. The three programs of the high school commencement week will be the Sixth Annual Declamatory Con test, the Baccalaureate Service and the final Commencement Exercises. The first of these exercises will prob ably be held on the evening of Thurs day, May 24. As heretofore, the con test will he in three sections with a gold medal as the prize for the win ner of each. In the first section, Merle Landeth and Travis Tyrrell will represent the fifth grade, and Kath leen Siler and Clarabel Peart will represent the sixth grade. In the sec ond section, the seventh grade will be represented by Kenneth Stanninger and Chester Howard, while Beryl Woodruff will speak for the eighth grade. The high school speakers will be Marvel Skeels, Leanna Curry, Ru by MacDonald, Katie Price and Nelli* 1 Johnson. It is possible that others may enter later. The music for this program will be furnished by the high school orchestra, the girls’ glee club and by pupils of the fourth grade. The Baccalaureate service will be held in the Methodist church South. The following is the order of service: Organ Voluntary .Genevieve C. Chase. Hymn, “ Coronation” . . .Congregation. Invocation..................Rev. H. M. Law. Anthem.. .High School Girls’ Chorus. Scripture Reading.Rev. T. H. Downs. Anthem..............High School Quintet. June Willey, Ada Downs, Gladys Nos ier, Marvel Skeels, Charles Willey. Sermon.___ ,................John L. Gary. The Doxology................Congregation. the grand total for the tax office for Waltermeir, deceased, was signed by Benediction..........Rev. T. H. Downs. ' April $237,493.02, and the grand total Judge Watson. The estate consists The final Commencement Exercises for the 1916 taxes $319,761.48. of $1270 personal property and $1,000 at the Masonic Hall on Tuesday even On Saturday of this week the bids in real estate. ing, May 29, will be as follows: Cou: ty Treusjrer Dimmick lcs! week Music........................ Girls’ Glee Club. will be opened on two of the Coos county road bond projects, the unit on received his receipt from the state Invocation..............Rev. T. H. Dow Vocal Solo................. Miss Mabel Bay. the Coquille-Marshfield road between treasurer frr $29,276.06, this h: log the Address......................Dr. John Straub. Coaledo and Cedra Ponit, and the first half of ihe county’s remittance for Bandon-Curry county line road. In- state taxes for this ycp.- Dean of Liberal Arts, U. of O. Lec Goodman became one of the as- Music........................ Girls’ Glee Club. 1 quiry at the offices of the roadmaster und county clerk elicited the informa I sessor’s office crew the first of last Presentation of Class, ..........................Supt. C. A. Howard. tion that neither of these projects is week, working on the new tax rolls for receiving the attention from the con next year's use. Presentation of Diplomas, W. L. Kistner, chairman of the tractors which their importance would seem to merit. However, it is hoped Board of Education. Marriage License a Music........................ Girls’ Glee Club. that there will be a goodly represen tation of the contractors present when April 28 -Joseph J. Morris and the bids are opened. Mildred Grace Sneed. Circuit Court Notes The arguments in the Kinney fore April 28— Ivan Vaumund and May closure cases involving about 2000 Cogdill. Several cases were cleared from the lots at the Bay were made before court docket Saturday in Judge April 28—John Owre and Perl R. Judge Skipworth Thursday afternoon. Coke’s court and one more was wiped Ballinger. I He announced postively that he would from the records yesterday. Those , hand down a final decision during the handled last week were: State vs. j month of May. He allowed John D. City Improvements Fred Feiger, State vs. Fred Gross, Goss, attorney for Frank B. Waite, ( Sargent vs. Cousins, Shuster vs. Corn ten days more in which to submit a wall, and State vs. McLay. | At an uiiormal meeting of the city brief on one phase of it. council last evening the plans of City . The last named resulted in acquit County Judge Watson yesterday re Engineer Kellogg for the bulkheads tal for the defendant. The case of Sargent vs. Cousins, a ceived from the state engineer’s office on the First street improvement suit for damages for $2,000 for per the requirement of specifications for were gone over and approved. The sonal injuries to Miss rfargent result the road bed for hard surfacing by inspection was followed by a discus ing from a collision of two wagons in the state under the bond issue. The sion as to the advisability of this one of which she was riding, resulted specifications are for a dirt grade 24 work being done by the city with the feet in width on all fill^ and 26 feet result that this course was determin in a verdict for the defendant. After deliberating something less in width on all cuts. The county .s ed upon. This will include cedar bulk than eleven minutes, the total time also required to make all necessary heads on both sides of the street they were absent from the court room, drainage culverts and ditches in a where it becomes necessary owing to the Jury in the case of the state verus manner satisfactory to the state en heavy fills. Engineer Kellogg alpo submitted Fred Grohs and Fred Figer, of Bandon, gineer's office. In the Probate Court yesterday the plans for the Hall street bridge which for breaking the game laws, brought in a verdict against Kiger hut in favor of order appointing James Waltermeir were inspected and approved by the Gross. The case wai^tried in the cir administrator over the estate of John council. cuit court here Saturday. Sentence was passed on Figer yesterday morn ing and it was the judgment of the court that Defendant Figer pay a fine of $50 and the costs of the case and serve 60 days in jail. If the fine and costs are paid thejjail sentence will be suspended. Shuster won in his suit against Corn wall et al in the circuit court Friday obtaining a verdict for the full amount of his claim, $120, for the loss of a suit case on the Gardiner atage. The ver dict designated J. P. Chriatie as the particular defendant against whom the judgment should rest, finding for the other defendants. United States Dreadnought Delaware .-5*-11 Court House Notes * Sheriff Gage, through his deputies, Saturday turned over to County Treas urer Dimmick the sum of $203,536.28 in cash, checks and post office money orders. This sum comprises the delin quent taxes for the years 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1915 and a part of the 1916 taxes collected prior to April 5. A further turn-over of $33,957.74, which cleans the sheriff’s office of collected taxes was made yesterday. This makes W . ' 'm m Photo by American Press Association. The battleship Delaware displaces 20.000 tons, and she Is H01.B feet Ion*. 8he carries ten twelve-inch guns lu lier uni lu batteries anti la wanned by officers and mon.