vol. 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.