Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, November 17, 1911, Image 1

Historic Oregon Newspapers

Rogue River courier., November 17, 1911, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Textvol. xxvn. EIGHT GOOD ROADS BILLS PROPOSED .s ONE CALLS FOR STATE nnvn - -vyi.i j ISSUE OP $20,000,000 MEMBER OF BOARD IN CIH Synopsis of Bills to Be Followed by Publication ot Bills in Full. At the next state election in Ore gon, eight Initiative bills will be submitted to the people which, if made laws, will put this common wealth in the front In road building. In Grants Pass at preseut Is Carlos T. Prall, president of the Oregon As- ociation . for Highway ment. and to The Courier Mr. Prall resented copies of these eight pros-ham and s- c- Stone, located at the ectlve laws. Mr. Prall is a goodihead of Gruse creek, (formerly oads enthusiast of the practical known a8 Louse creek), seven miles kind and what he has to say on the ,north of GrantB Pass, was bonded by ubject la of much interest. !A- J- McCorkle, F. G. McCorkle, C. The visitor was a member of the ,s- McCorkle and W. B. Sherman for board appointed by Governor Oswald I10-000- wh will take possession to West to draw up the eight bills. The noir and begin developing work xecutlve named five men from,at once- There are three dalms In Multnomah county and one each ithe rouP and a mill site. from the other counties of the state, The deal was handled by the W. aklng a total of 38 members. This ;B- Sherman ReaIty company of board was In session September l2!Grants PaS8 and ws carried out and 13 and prepared the eight bills. ,'Ithout a hltch The work was accomplished In only! Th,s Important mine deal goes to two days as much of the preliminary Prove tha Mr- McCorkle, who Is also work had heen cared for before the ,to erect a 8amPler in Grants Pass, board met s dGmoustratIng anew his faith In "The eight Instruments were then submitted to the governor," said Mr. ",K vvv u uu 8ao Prall, "and met with. his approval." ,da,;f have t?cJ1n,0Ter. ,,B a moBt The eight bills are as follows: ,Worthy one- I,ad !t not b"en 80; Tn emnower use of convicts of J- McCorkle would not have touched ,, tta. n rnaA To empower use of state convicts An rnflda u,, u ,iri,,..o a To establish a state highway de- partment, authorizing appointment of a commissioner by the governor and prescribing his duties. Creating state highway - Idftllrt IU11U J) ..au. u. To amend the state constitution ,, . by eliminating reature iinming . . . ... aa .vi.v -i Indebtedness to s&u.vuu, imu be used (as it now reads) for war, in,.tun at hv nddlne sentence .u,v ...J nr fnr the nuroos, of nu vu -;- M((('foot to Ave feet in width. A heavy Din a nK ana mmuituomc ui ' ...f- iM.,. for .I,.:;; " t In excess O0 000 0 to run 30 year, at five 0,000 oou to ru , each yea; for a period oio years, eacn year iur n j.iu each county to get as mu ch or tnis .. . nf tt fund as tnat counu cm- own money. Bill defining hew any county may get the state', aid, or part of tne f?n,onu.uuu innu. Now That makes a total of seven, inow 7 v. ,v how simple: me eignin d. , a mau" zz nv county, ' ' . , t0 county, is d ockcu lhn',ViI gtac. It ,g a demonstrated mine. Mr. has spent some days vT w with no enacting thlsyear hu with no e clause. The eighth b 1.1 I t the enacting clause for that a Is made up of hut a few linos. r. Prall has -X E IhTbms" wm bi SpST bT lng eight bills win m 1 the people and Or.m.W!J lte a, one of the rrolto the nnlon. One of th nm. ti,- Mil s entitled An act to ereate and establish a state high- . . authorize the w T npnanuieui, appointment of a .i.rn K in commissioner therefor, vi. Ma nnwprs. his onipoTi- sation, method of " ment of assistants, and approprlat lng money therefor." . a t Aa Section l.-There I hereby creat- ed and established a state nn:.. department, whose chief offl-r sha. be called the state highway enmm. slonrr. Said state highway m. : mlssioner .Hall he aprolnl hy ' governor, and shall hold his of - for tour years, ucle" aoonr retno. e4 for cause. B.Hd commissioner GRANTS PASS, shall be thoroughly skills in x A BVICU" unc road construction. Section 2The secretary of w is nereby directed to furnish the state highway commissioner with a suitable office In the capltol build ing where his records shall be pre served, and said office shall be kept open at such times as the business of the commissioner requires. The said highway commissioner shall keep a record of all proceedings and orders pertalnlug to the matters un der bis direction, and copies of all Plans, specifications, and estimates submitted to him. Section 3. No road, highway, public way, or brldgo, paid for wholly or in part out of the moneys of the state, howsoever appropriated, shall be surveyed, planned, project ed, constructed, maintained or erect- (Continued on Page Six.) M'CORKLE TAKES BOND ON GOLD DRIFT MINE Papers were signed late Saturday Improve-iaftern0Ol whereby the Gold Drift il"artz mine, owned by W. T. Turn- ? minerai ne" or josepnine coun rvsL a i because he Is a pioneer mining nian of he Ro? mountains, a reg. Ion which Is conceded to furnish all mining countries with Ira ni I n I n it (nfa 1 1 tra ti na the best of 1 T In purchasing the Gold Drift mine, the new owners get a property with something more than 2,000 feet of development work. Seventeen car- loads of ore have been shipped to IUB IttLUlun Dlliciiui, ictuiui buut- lng that tne 17 car g carloads averaged $92.00 per ton. i The Gold Drift Is a fissure vein of white quartz and varies from one .... . , . tonnage of high grade ore is already blocked out and there are now about -.f.SOOO tons of ore on the dump that will average from U to $11 per ton and H ,9 the ,ntentlon of tno new owners to put on a 10-stamp ml,, n,inin of c par v date "rt'" - as possible , ... . mn mm , wnrV,nB line liirii ak.a"'f ' . ..,. ,h nraaani rilimn If tit - paratory for larger operations later. i , 0wlns to the steepness of the hill S()(Moot tunnrl ,., cut the ledge workings m, Iiroperty i8 not In a prospect- In the mineral districts of the county, , ialneraIog.cal conditions, exam- u. P . he hei h ls flrm!y convinced and CI-.' Presses It that this stlon f hp wt,st ronfalnB some of the rf pn ra,,flc coast, llw. bis d-te.- 'miration to purchase a mine and to m paraplMr ln CrantH c. raw i As to SampltT. When at-ked about his proposed sampling worns in u..- Mr. McCorKie wm. I ni('',rt'nii uif v ch,1. Is to rq-ort to me Monday night os to Us propooil Mte tnai wui . k. i ...at ffllf't 1 irilphnd on iii'-n v) un-ii ,M pi ..nt , wltnl . - , bava vm, oiu m. n ty (TIm , half car ' mnn, whn ,t J dftr. w. b f The outio JOSEPHINE COUNTY', OREGON. VITAL AMENDMENTS TO CITY CHARTER MOST IMPORTANT AUTHORIZES IMPROVEMENT BOND ISSUE. ELECTION ON DECEMBER 4 Commission Form Most Be Accept ed or Rejected In Full Amend ments By Section. Qualified voters of the city are now digesting the two proposed charters, which are to be voted on at the city election December 4. The commission form is new in toto, and the. voter must accept or reject it as a whole. The amended charter, or the present charter with amend ments, must be treated by the voter amendment by amendment. He can accept all or part or none. The most salient changes made in the old char ter are as follows: Page 54, section 58 provides a salary not to exceed $1,500 a year for the auditor and police Judge in stead of the present salary which reads not to exceed $30 per month. Page 56, section 60 provides that the auditor and police judge shall file a bond in the sum of $5,000. The bond under, the present charter Is $1,000. Page 58, section 65 Is changed to read that the salary of the city treasurer of $150 per year shall hereafter be not to exceed $300 a year. Page 64; In section 93 the follow ing Is added to paragraph 20: "That the Jurisdiction ot the county court of Josephine county Is hereby excepted out of the corporate owners petition for one kind of pav Hmlt8 of the City of Grants Pass for lng, then make up their minds they the purpose of granting liquor He-1 ense and controlling such traffic tin-; der the provisions of this charter. , Provided, this subdivision does not empower the said city to declare a trade employment or business dan gerous or offensive, contrary to the common understanding of the sub ject nor to authorize anyone to do any act, or engage In any business contrary to the laws of the land." Page 66; ln section 93, paragraph 33 ls changed to read that the city shall not at any time allow the war rant indebtedness to exceed $25,000. In the old charter the limit ls $35, 000. Page 66, section 93, paragraph 34; the old charter provides that bondod Indebtedness shall not exceed $100, 000. New charter provides that bonded indebtedness shall not ex ceed $125,000; and in the aggregate (Including warrants) "shall not ex ceed $150,000. While the old char ter provides that the aggregate In debtednefs shall not exceed $135,000 the amendment Increases the bond ing indebtedness, but cuts down the warrant indebtedness. In the same paragraph occurs j change which Is considered the mon vital of the entire Instrument, a clause giving the city council power and authority to IsRue refunding bonds without the question of hav ing first been submitted to a vo'.o , nnnnla To h more xnllelt: Ul IUQ I'WI'tvi - " If this amendment Is adopted It docs not empower the council to is sue bonds to create new Indebted ness, but only gives It power to Is sue bnnds t0 take care of the present Indebtedness; and ' the principal ob joct Is to give the council power to i .- v.,bJj tnr tha miriu.ao nf tak up ouuund.., w.Vr.ni Indt- edness of the city and thereby put the city on a cash 'wl. For In stance: If a sewer H contrurted the rontrartor is pill In city war rants drawing 6 per eit per an num, and at the present tlm he ho to rsnh that warrant ot a 11 'fount if . t . .Lit . i . n r oer ent. ana as rm'm mr iu trartor adds 5 pr vnt to his bid ' ,)rn e(J,u n p.r rent -.hat the At tb present time the barter provide thrt not more than per rent ran be paid, consequently ,h. P011Bf ,M not Ku bo.4. inK ,k ,hr,W pro- I w ,h,t , Mpltf 4r. (I(,-f,t. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1011. ed from that standpoint Out it does give the council power to issue i)oud ai a lower rate of interest but only for funding purposes; that is, Issue bonds for funding outstanding war rant Indebtedness or issue bonds at a lower rate of interest than bonds already issued are now drawing. In other words, if the bonding mar ket should get exceedingly good the council could pass ordinances and do such things that are necessary and issue bonds at a rate of Interest low-; er than was being paid at the time, without the expense of a special el ection and probably missing the sale of the bonds at a low rate of Inter est by a slump In the market. Page 73; section 95 is changed to determine what is an Improvement. Page 75; section 96 is amended to allow tne council to create sewer drainage districts which will make property owners, using the sewers or drains and not on the Tne ot an Im provement, subject to ;my their pro rata of benefit. Page 79; section 98 gles property owners opportunity to come In at an earlier date than heretofore provid ed and remonstrance against a pro posed Improvement. Thh will cut down preliminary expenses. Page 81; section 99 provides that remonstrated out, property owners are barred for six months from peti tioning, unless owners of one half or more of the property affected shall thereafter petition the council to be gin de novo, provided, however, that where the proposed improvements is the construction or repair of any sewer for sanitary drainage or storm sewer, the council may by UNANIMOUS vote order the con struction or repair of such sewers, storm sewer or sanitary drain not withstanding such remonstrance. The Latin phrase de novo heretofore mentioned means "begin anew." The words as used In the p-lntod crpy read "do novo." This Is a typo graphical error. The reason for refusing property owners to petition within six months of a former petition Is to cut down continual expense where property want another kind and petition for that, and then later bring In still another proposition, and so on to exasperation , and much expense to the city. Page 88; section 114 provides that Instead ot the old plan of as sessing a flat rate on intersections to property owners, this amendment provides tor an eaual percentage plan and reads In full as follows: "Section 114. Where Is ls neces sary to distribute the cost of an al ley or street Intersection over the abutting property, take one-fourth of the cost of the entire intersection and distribute the same over the quarter of the block adjoining In the following manner: "The quarter adjoining the Inter section, or the first quarter, 40 per cent. "The second and third quarters, each 25 per ceut. "The fourth quarter, or the one farthest from the Intersection, 10 per cent. "Where acreage property, or property not laid out In lots and blocks Is abutting an Intersection, the aiROfll!mcnt ,ni extend 0Ter an area 150 feet each way from the In tersection, this area shall be divided Into four quarters and assessed as a quarter of a block abutting an Inter section." Page 90; section 120 provld -i that In condemnation proceeding If the rounfll dnslres Instead of tak' lng the long route provldd by the old charter, snd which may eventu ally come Into the circuit court for final derision, condemnation pro ceedings may be Initiated In the cir cuit court, thereby, In some In- dances, saving time and expense.. lrT.l 8 F.UtMKRS ROM. PORTLAND, Nor. 16. Following the discovery that, a number of ped dlers, dlpgulsed as farmers, have been gfttlng rl h by "selling short weight farm products to housewives, Sealer of WHghts aad Measures rjurhtel today declared he would tart a campaign to end the practice. Felix Wagner of Eugene Is visit ing with bis sister, Mrs. J. K. Gardner. PRISON LABOR FOR JOSEPHINE ROADS GOVERNOR WEST HERE TO CON- FER WITH OFFICIALS. TRY.OUT IN JACKSON CO. Executive Talks of Highways nl Improvements and Tells Why He Vetoed Hills. Governor Oswald West arrived ln Grants Pass on Wednesday, coming to this city on a two-fold mission, one to stir up Interest ln the matter of an exhibit from Josephine county to be placed ln his coach which Is a part of the western governors' spec ial train to the east, and to discuss with the county court of Josephine county a proposal Initiated by Mr. West to apportion number of con victs to this county for public road work. The governor, County Judge Jew ell and County Commissioner Barlow at 10:30 this morning left Grauts Pass In an auto for the Williams creek country to look at roads and bridges. Asked by a representative of The Courier what time today he would return from Williams, the executive- replied: "That depends on how far we go out, as how far we go out means how far I will have to walk back. I never go out on trips of this kind In an automobile but what I have an opportunity to hoof back to the starting point." The Courier representative asked Governor West, "What of good roads?" The executive replied: "Well we are learning much about roads that we never knew before. The people of Oregon are alive to the question of good roads. They want good roads, but they do . not want confusion in the building and a waste of money. You would be surprised at the amount of money which has been wasted In this state ln patch road work. Some of you tulles' down this way did not like It because I vetoed the roads bills ot the last leg islature. If the critics of my veto could have read those bills and com pared one with the other, they would have seen the wisdom ot ray veto. I vetoed the bills because I was In favor of good roads, not. because I did not favor scientific road building. "When those bills were Introduced Into the legislature they were pretty good measures, but each of them was amended and amended until when passed, the batch, as a whole, was a mass of confusion. Dy that I mean they conflicted each with the other and gave authority here, there and everywhere with no aystem or plan for success. For Instance, counties were to do so and so and a state com missioner was empowered to do so and so, the most Important part ot his work being to draw bis salary. And then there were other confusing features. I was requested by friends of good roads for Oregon to veto the measures; but I would have done ro without this request, as It would have been detrimental to the cause of good roads to have allowed the measures to become laws." The Courier Informed the gov ernor that this paper began yester day the publication of the eight In itiative bills prepared by his good roads commission and would publish them all, one at a time. This state ment was rorelved by Mr. West with pleasure, and ha remarked that the measures had his full approval and that he hoped they would become laws. On being reminded that it was a long time to wait, Mr. West re plied that he did not consldor the time long, "only a year from nU Janu ary." It will bo a year from that date, however, before actual work under the laws rsn bo Inaugurated, If the measures aro adopted by the people. "Now, I am here," resumed Gov ernor West, "to confer with your county court to see if matters can be so arranged that a number of tale convicts can be sent to Josoph no. sa. Ine county for road work. I ban sent, as you doubtless know, a num ber of state prisoners to Jackson county to aid ln building the Crater Lake highway, and the plan la meet ing with success from a material standpoint aud with approval of tht people ot that county. It such a plan can be carried out In Josephine coun ty, I will allot a number ot state pris oners for work here." The matter had not been suffi ciently gone over this morning by Governor West and the court to al low a definite statement as to the outcome. There Is no law on the statue books of Oregon empowering the governor to send convlcte to a county tor road work; neither Is there a law against It; and Governor West Is act ing on his own Initiative in this re gard. One of the proposed eight In itiative bills Is to create a law au thorizing work by state convicts on roads. Another bill Is one authoriz ing UBe ot city and county convicts on roads. Governor West was ot the opinion that the time had arrived when good roads must be built, that the people wanted them built, but said: "When we of this state start out on a campaign or roaa Duiiamg it will result either in success or fail ure.. Failure Is what we want to avoid; and, as I said before, we are learning much about road building that we nover knew before, and are getting that experience which teachei us that we must go about this mat ter In a sensible way and apply both skill and common sense, as It Is go ing to coBt a lot of money." COMMERCIAL CLUB IN MONTHLY MEETING At tho regular monthly mooting of the Commercial Club on Monday there was but little business pre sented to the club for action. Only two persons were reported to the club as seeking this place for Investment, one, some kind ot a doc tor who wrote to know whether there are many wealthy people In Grauts Pass suffering from chronic diseases; another communication was from, a man In the north who sought to know what were the op portunities for establishing a dairy. The club discussed the matter and lustructud that the creamery man be given all encouragement possible, aa there existed here great neod for a creamery and, with Irrigation now a fact, such an enterprise would pay. The club arranged that a display from Grants Pass be sent this week to Portland to be placed in the gov ernor's car, which car will be part ot a special train ot western govern ors to tour the east under the aus pices of the Great Northern Railroad company. A committee ot the club's trus tees, named by the trustees several days ago to locate a suitable and ac ceptable site tor the ore sampling works to be erected by A, J, Mc Corkle, bad reported to the trustees that tho committee bad not yet been abte to find Just what was needed In proximity to the Southrn Pacific tracks, or rather bad not heard from the non-resident owner of the sue most desired, oue near the oil tanks. Tho committee hopes to have some thing definite to report at an early date. Mr, McCorkle addressed tho club, by request, and be told of his plana and bis determination to bring the plant and business to high plane of success. Wben he had finished tbore was none to even hint at a criticism, for the Rocky mountain mining man carried conviction. rtuslneas of the meeting over, sev eral persons addressed tho club, one being Dr. Hay Palmer, tbe evange list, who predicted much for Oregon and tbe Itoguo valley. Ill l-OUM FOR VOTERS. BRATTLE, Nov. 16.8eattle'a women's clubs have adopted tbe plan to convert schoolhouses Into clvle centers and voting places and thef are drafting an ordinance for snb mission to the council along these lines. If adopted It will rwmove vot ing plares from objectionable lur roundtngs. Senator H. D. Norton left Wed nesday evening for ftalem to spend a few days en legal business.