JTOPPOttD MATH TRTKITOT, MEDFORT), OREGON. SAMTRTUY, MAY 25, 1912.
PRESENT OREGON PROBLEMS ARE DISCUSSED AT EUGENE
GE SIX
u
;H
hi
Si
I "8 '
MPORTANCE
OF
ELE n
FK S SHOWN
EUGENE. Ore., May 215. Worthy
standards of living upon farm units
ns vlowcil from the standpoint of
olcctrlcnl development wns tho
thomo of W. T. llnehnnnn, publicity
director of tho Portlnnd llnllway,
Light & Power company, before the
fourth mutual Commonwealth con
ference hero this morning.
"Mr, Buchanan's paper contained
tunny important fncta pertaining to
the development of electricity In the
stnto of Oregon, claiming that the
chief hopo of tho country restect
In n unck-to-the-farm movement
through the use of electrical appli
ances upon the farm. In analyzing
his subject the speaker said:
"Tho depletion of the rural fire
sides of the young men and young
women is having a deteriorating ef
fect upon our national life. In 1S70
CO per cent of the national popula
tion was upon tho farms. In 1S90
It whb 35 per cent; In 1900, 30 per
cent, and in 1911, while the official
figures are not yet published, It Is
estlmnted at 27 per cent. The effect
of this movement Is to change our
sociological condltlou. The cure lies
In two things primary transporta
tion and improved labor saving de
vices. Saves Much Lalwr.
"In labor saving devices there Is
ono field which presents marvelous
possibilities and that is electricity.
The minimum estimated potential
water power development In the
United States Is 26,000,000 horse
power. Forty-three per cent of this
amount is to be found In the states
of Oregon, Washington and Califor
nia. With that of Wyoming. Idaho
and Montana, tho percentage Is In
creased to CO.
"Jt may not be known to every
body, but tho possible water power
of the United States Is located In
four distinct sections tho Pacific
slope, the New England states, the
Great Lake region, and the states
entered by the Southern Appalachian
range of mountains. This Is really
a small portion of the area of the
entire country. Thus, tho water
power sections are to be found
around New York, around St. Paul,
and Minneapolis; down in tho re
gion of the Carollnas and, of course,
our own coast country. If the far
seeing statesmen of the nation and
captains of industry are to be be
lieved, these water power sections
are destined to bo the manufacturing
centers of tho United States for all
time; and long after the coal and
oil fields are exhausted.
. Unique Picture.
"Thus tho development of elec
trical power for manufacturing and
lighting, as well as heating, presents
a very unique picture of the future.
With CO per cent of thp water power
upon the Pacific slope and that
means light, power and heat It
necessarily follows that this coast
will be the greatest manufacturing
country of the world. Where manu
factures are to bo found tho donscst
population exists. Therefore wo may
assume that the future of this coun
try is boyond the dreams of those
living today.
"With a largo part of this Im
mense power within the grasp of the
citizens of Oregon, It follows that
tho farmer can here secure not only
power, but light and heat at a very
minimum price, sufficiently low to
admit of producing modern comforts,
and most of tho pleasures of city
life within tho walls of his farm
home. To this must be added the
nearness of market, produced by a
manufacturing center. Thus an Ideal
economic condition Is produced. With
the best market In the world, and
comforts produced through tho use
of electrical appliances, Oregon has
a future that is assured.
"Hero the farm unit will In reality
ho a standard for other states to
aspire to.
Gains llnphlly.
"Somo idea of the rapidity of tho
water power development In tho
United States for railway, lighting
and powor eorvleo mtiy ho gained
from, tho fact thnt in 1902 thoro
wore 487,000 horso powor dovelopca
and lu 1907 1,411,000, or nearly a
200 per cent Increase For 1911
tho amount of wutcr power develop
ment was estimated nt over two nud
one-half million horso power. The
ubq of this development has not
reached fur into tho rural districts,
hut that It is spreading gradually is
funlfest In many portions of tho
country. In the very near future tho
farmer will have his lighting, his
heating and powor demands fulfilled
by electricity from a coutral station.
Thotpho may huvo within his houso
Jbo electric flutlron, tho washer, tho
wringer, tho Ice cream freezer, tho
fan, the vacuum cleaner, tho thresh
ing motor, the grinding sets, nud the
multitude of electrical appliances
which nre In common use In the city,
as well as those applicable to agri
cultural pursuits.
"Already in Oregon thoro are 14S
farmers using electricity on their
farms. In the state of Washington
thoro are BOO and In California there
arc dCiO, according to statistics. In
New York there nre 170 and In Ten
uessce 200.
"With tho railroads near by, the
telephone to respond to Immediate
wants, the electric power to supply
human needs, there Is every reason
to believe that Uie farm itself cau be
made an Inviting place, nud thus be
come the breeding spot of statesmen
and rulers, as well as a citizenship
through whose conservative thought
and action tho heritages of the
Anglo-Saxon race may be maintained
nnd perpetuated."
and won lu tho sumo way ns was that
of the district schools, and Hirough
tho same process of elimination vo
havo como down to the question of
maintaining a vtnto university of tho
highest efficiency and usefulness u
the state. The same objections me
advanced, nud are founded on tho
.same principles, nud will ho won lu
the same way, and the opposition to
tho university will entirely disappear."
SHOULD
PROTECT
m
POWER
is
SOURCE OF I
10
CAPITAL WHICH
1
M
HI FIELD
NORTHWEST
i m
AND
ITS WORK FOR THE
GOOD OF THE STATC
EUGENE, Ore., May 21;. -The Im
portance of the University of Oregon
to the state was the priuclpal theme
of tho talk of Hon. F. E Beach of
Portland this evening nt the fourth
annual commonwealth conference,
held under the auspices of the Uni
versity of Oregon. "The Problem of
Transforming Oregon from a Merely
Geographic to an Organic and Spirit
ual Entity, was the formal title of
Mr. Beach's discussion.
"All questions of state building."
said Mr. Beach, " taxation, social
Justice, development of tho natural
resources, good roads, standards Of
living. Justice between employer and
employe, corporation law, corpora
tion supervision In fact the solution
of all state problems, are merged In
one organic entity, and each becomes
a part of the prohlom of state build
ing. Is Logical Factor.
v'Tho state university Is the logical
factor In leading public thought and
stimulating activity in developing nil
conditions to a higher standard of ef
ficiency. The university should exist
to serve tho people, not only along
the Hues of imparting education to
the students enrolled, but also to
serve as a leader in thought and In
crystallzlng public sentiment on nil
questions before the people.
"In order to do this, tho state
should provide ample funds to enable
the university to accomplish the ob
ject for which it Is intended and to
take Its place at tho head of our edu
cational system. Salaries should be
adequate to enable the regents to
procure tho ablest Instructors In
every department that can be obtain
ed. The president of tho university
should bo given first rank as un
official of tho state. His opportunity
for service to the state will bo greater
than that of any other citizen, and
more Important than that of govor-
nor or of our representative In con
gress.
Mlllagu Basis Needed.
"Tho question of providing funds
for the university should bo placed on
a mlllage basis, for If the amount !s
limited and tho university hampered
In Its work, the results will he unsat
isfactory to Justify even a small ex
penditure out if tho appropriations
aro sufficient to meet nil require
ments to put the university among
tho first rank of educational institu
tions in tho United States, then tho
expendlturo will havo boon amply
Justified. There lu no investment the
taxpayers of Oregon can mako on
which they will receive such large re
turns for their money; and It will
como back to them many fold, not
only In tho education of the students
enrolled, hut to the entire citizenship
of tho state, and the advancement of
every activity calculated to promote
tho welfaro of tho commonwealth.
"Eugene Is the geographical and
logical location for such an Institu
tion, especially so with tho comple
tion of tho lines of railroads that will
cross each other here, and make it
poBalblo for students to reach tho
university In a few hours from any
part of the state.
.Must lie Done by State.
"Tho denominational colleges and
the private institutions, while highly
vuluablo to the Htute, cannot do this
work. It must bo done, If done ut all,
by a Btato Institution. A century ago
tho American peoplo had tho ques
tion of freo district schools to con
tend with. Tho opposition which It
met with wnH greater and more gen
eral than tho ono which wo now huvo
to tho university, hut It was bused on
a principle of right, and won, and tho
opposition entirely disappeared.
"Tho next step was tho high
schools, and tho same objection wns
ralBed and tho satno fight was made! eminent In this work,
EUGENE, Ore., May 25 "Thou
sands of acres of public and private
lands In tho arid portions of Oregon
and Washington could ho Irrigated
by pumping If only cheap powor wore
available," was the statement by
John H. Lewis, state engineer, In his
paper on cooperation presented to the
Joint meeting of the Oregon Conser
vation commission, and the Common
wealth conference at University of
Oregon this afternoon. Only small
tracts in the most favored localities
can be Irrigated profitably at present
power rates, and the United States
reclamation service cannot furnish
power at n less rate without a market
for such power when not used for Ir
rigation. The power demand for
pumping would Increase gradually so
that under an economical develop
ment there would be large quantity
cf surplus power for disposal for per
haps ten or more years after comple
tion of the plant."
Policy Should I to Adopted.
Mr. Lewis pointed out that some
federal water power policy should
soon be adopted, and that most of tho
three million horse power in our
streams would be subject to such pol
icy. While the state controls tho
water, yet no use could bo made of
It without access to the stream, and
this cannot be secured by condemna
tion proceedings the same as across
private lands. The state should
therefore take an active interest in
arriving at a proper state policy and
In the shaping of the federal policy.
So important is this subject to the
future prosperity of the state that he
urges a most thorough study and In
vestigation or the whole matter with
a view of adopting some definite state
policy. If we aro to Jiavo public
ownership and development, or com
plete private monopoly In a given
fluid, then the sooner these questions1
nre decided, the better for all. The
state could well afford to expend
several thousand dollars In the de
tailed study of the technical features
relating to tho cost of developing,
transmitting and distributing elec
trical power, and In ascertaining the
extent of present nud possible future
markets. No comprehensive policy
or plan can be mapped out without
definite Information.
Explain, System.
Tho state engineer explained the
system of cooperation which has been
in operation for 24 years, between
the estates and the United States
Geological survey, whereby tho states
through direct appropriations aro en
abled to secure the benefits of topo
graphic surveys more speedily, and
at less cost than by doing tho work
itself. He suggested that similar co
operation between tho stnto and tho
United States Reclamation service
might prove acceptable to tho people
of the state, especially when it lu
pointed out that by issuing state
bonds, irrigation and water power de
velopment could proceed Immediately
without any cost to tho general tax
payer. The cost of construction
would be made a lien upon the land,
or charged against tho peoplo benefit
ed, to Insure the return of tho money
with Interest. No project would be
undertaken until thoroughly studied,
and contracts secured to Insure com
plete success both from the financial
us well as tho practical side. Por
hups ongress in view of such offer
would vote bonds to an equal amount
for work within Oregon. The stnto
would designate somo cooperating of
ficer who would not only represent
tho stato in the expenditure of its
money, but havo an equal voice lu
the expendlturo of government funds,
Just us new projects aro studied out
and undortukon by tho secretary of
the interior with reclamation funds,
so tho cooperative funds would ho
available for expenditure, by tho
stuto's representative, acting lu co
operation with tho secretary, and no
project could ho undertaken which
was not approved by both. Even If
tho state hud to furnish all tho funds,
for tho first fow projects hoforo rec
lamation funds were available, tho
stato could lose nothing, nor would
It Increase tho burden of taxation un
less somo total failure occurred
which Is not yory llkofy lu view of
tho extensive exporlonco of tho gov-
Et'GENE, Ore., May 2.V O. I).
Hubooek, head of the corporation
department of tho secretary of
state's office, this aftornuon ut the
fourth annual Commonwealth con
ference discussed "Corporation Law
and Corporation Supervision for
Oregon to Insure Safety to Investors
nud Efficiency for Development."
The speaker referred to tho early
history of corporation legislation lu
Oregon, and showed that the ener
gies of tho legislature along thin
line were devoted to enacting laws
that would encourage capital to en
ter tho state, and that up to thu pres
ent time practically no sufeguards
for the Investor have boon provided.
Tho time has arris ed, he said, to
enact a law that will protect tho
buyer as well as tho seller of stock.
That this can he best accomplished
by a law similar to tho Kansas lllue
Sky law Is tho opinion of Mr. Hab
cock. Secretary of Stato Olcott and
some of the leading lawyers of tho
state. Work on a measure of this
character has boon uuiior way for
several months, and It probably will
bo submitted to the people under
the Initiative at tho November elec
tion. .Must Show tho Goods,
The law will provide thnt every
corporation organized la this state,
except state and national banks and
corporations not organized for prof
It, shall submit to tho corporation
commissioner with Its articles of In
corporation copies or all bonds, con
tracts, and other papers relating to
Its organization, also a complete
statement of Its financial condition.
If tho commissioner (lads that the
papers so submitted provide for a
fair, Just nnd equitable plan of busi
ness and promise a fair return on
the stocks and bonds offered for sale.
he shall Isjuo a charter to the cor
poration; if ho thinki it desirable
he may make an Investigation of the
company's affairs, at the expense of
the corporation, before granting the
charter, or ho may roluse to Issue a
charter. ,J
The commlssloncnirLI) .also ho au
thorized to require f&i 'publication of
flunnclal statements St any time. The
making of itwy fnU statement or
writing In any book or newspaper
will Incur a penalty of flue and Im
prisonment lu tho stato penitentiary
Public to He Informed.
Another safeguard proposed Is to
require every coriwatlou to publish
In the county lu which Its principal
place of huslnciss li located, notice of
Its Intention to apply for a charter.
Tho speaker maintained that many
corporations of a questionable char
acter will be unable to stand this
preliminary publicity.
Mr. Hnbcock took tho position that
the only way in which the peoplo can
bo protected is tho enactment or a
stringent law regulating tho super
vision or corporations and the sales
or stock; that tho administration or
tho law should be entrusted to a
competent official who shall servo
under bond and be held strictly ac
countable for results; that the law
should bo liberally construed as to
legitimate corporations so as not to
hamper thu lndiutrlul development
of the state.
It Is estimated that tho proposed
law will produce about $20,000 per
year new revenue, In addition to
what Is now being received, and It Is
conservatively estimated thut It will
savo to tho people or tho stato at
least u million dollars u year now
thrown away on worthless stocks.
OREGON'S GOOD
ROAD PROBLEMS
ARE DISCUSSED
EUGENE, Ore,, May 215. Tho
"Economic and Social Factors In Ore
gon's Good itoad Problem" was the
title of a paper read ut tho fourth
uiuitiul Commonwealth conference at
University of Oregon hy George
Putnam of Medford. Mr. Putnam's
paper follows;
Every progressive, citizen realizes
tho value of good roads and tho part
they pluy in tho development of tho
country nud of tho people. That Oro
gon has lagged behind nor sister
states lu development Is duo ns much
to tho nogloct of her highways us to
tho lack of railroads, Tho Isolation
resulting has produced tho reaction,
ary provincialism that characterizes
so largo u proportion of her popula
tion and makes necessary campaigns
of education to Induce tho people to
hotter their own conditions, lnurouso
tho value of tholr property and make
Itfo inoro enjoyable.
Railroads uro a creation or yester
day, but highways are us old as civil
ization Itself. Home controlled hair
the world through highways nud hor
roads still serve us models to tho
modern world. Yet for over half a
century lu tho most progressive In
dustrial cm the world hits known, tho
hovorolgn stato of Oregon never built
a mllo of good road.
Constitution Is IttilL Lino.
Ono would think that tho sturdy
pioneers who drove tholr pralrlo
M'hoouors thousands of miles across
thu plains would have loarud the
value of good roads; that tho early
settlors living tholr lives of Isolation
and loll lu a country where tho whis
tle ot mu locomotive was never
hoard, would havo realized tho neces
sity of good roads; that In tho porlod
or Industrial development that pro
ceeded and followed tho railroad tho
colonists would huvo grasped tho
utility nud necessity of adequate
highways, hut thoy did not. Instead
thoy framed a constitution that was
purposely designed to hinder mid pre
vent the construction or good loads.
Thoy bound themselves and their de
scendants with chains that still bind
and years or weary tiffort havo not
inado us free. Tho Oregon constitu
tion, a product or uuothor ago and
primitive conditions, as Interpreted
by Oregon courts, still makes It Im
possible to legally build highways,
and the construction underway Is In
upon defiance of the law.
Tho advent of tho automobile Is
primarily responsible for tho goo'd
I loads sentiment of today. It has
j made possible the traveling of coun
try roads with tho comfort, safely
and speed of tin; passenger train. It
has awakened public sentiment to the
science of highways nud good roads
havo become tho all Important sub
ject of every state. Hut tho automo
bile Is of minor economic Importance
compared to the volume or traffic
drawn by animals.
Pi eight Statistics.
Tho railroads of thu United States
move two billion tons of freight an
nually, most of which Is, first trans
ported by wagons. The cost or mov
ing freight by wagon over our present
road system averages 2f rents por
ton mllo nnd for tho same cost the
railroads haul a ton or freight 10
miles. With an adequate system of
roads, freight can bo hauled with
horso power for 12 1-2 centH per ton
mllo and less.
Good roads uro of far more Import
auco to tho farmer than to any other
class lu tho community, yet most of
too opposition lu Oregon comes from
the farmer. Good roads make his
property easily accessible, bonce In
crease Its value. It cuts In two his
cost or marketing and stimulates his
production, thereby Increasing his
profits. It enables him to got out
more frequently to break uway from
tho monotony of farm life, and makes
existence more enjoyable.
Good roads bring tho country to
tho city and the city to the country.
They weld a community or Interest
that will do much to t:olve tho prob
lem or ovor-dovoloped city and under
developed country, Thoy raise tho
standard of tho farm ns tho paved
street frnlsM the standard of the
city homo. Pave a city street and
tho unkempt appearance gives place
to well kept lawns and tidy yurds,
Dili Id u fine highway, and a farm
rapidly loses Its look or hopeless dis
order, nud a new standard or -living
appears.
Must Iti'inovo Isolation.
Tho typical furniur'H narrow, hope
less vlow of lire gives way with good
roads to u broader nud more optimis
tic outlook. Progress replaces sllur-
lanlaiu. Ho sees tuoro or tho world,
and tho world sees morn or him. Thu
fundamental cause of mossbucklsm
Isolation, is removed.
As a rulo, thu peoplo want good
roads, hut they don't want to pay for
tlieuiT" Many a man petitions nud
votes for u road nnd when ho gels It,
wastes 100 worth of tlmu and ener
gy In howling about a $10 Incrouso
in taxes. Many Oregonlaus, tho ma
jority, never saw a really good road,
constructed on tho right principles
of building thorn, Tho fundamentals
and necessity of road building nnd
maintaliiauco should ho taught In
every public school lu tho hind.
Under thu Oregon )uw, county road
und brldg-3 construction Is under tho
supervision of tho county court, com
posed or tho county Judgo and county
commissioners. At tho first meeting
of tho year, thoy appoint tho imper-
vlsors or tho various road districts
into which tho county Is divided. Half
of tho road levy Is spout under direc
tion of tho county court In general
road and bridge work; tho other half
Is returned to thu districts and spontl
by thu supervisors Individually,
System Obsolete.
This systepi Is obsolete and absurd.
Tho county Judgo generally draws
from $1000 to $1800 u year salary,
nnd looks aftur tho probate buslnouM
of tho county. Tho commissioners
uro puld $11 u duy uud expenses und
nieut with tho Judgo ouro or twice a
month. Thoy employ a road master
to havo supervision over general nmtl
work. Tho piohaln business should
ho olihur luriiod uxor (o tho circuit
court or tho county court bo given
Jurisdiction over minor cases, and
tho office segregated from tho com-
mlsshuiors, Tho supervisors should
ho abolished, for ouch works uerurd
lug to his own fancy, fow of thorn un
derstand the subject, fewer still have
a scientific training, and tho result Is
a hodge-podge of A 7 varieties of
roads, none of thorn good. Most of
tho supervisors' money Is spent lu
makeshift repairs uud temporary
work that has to ho ihuio all over
again tho next your, The muiiey
handled by supervisors Is lu most
Instance, wasted and thin hi hair
of the money spout annually on roads
lu Oregon, It Is no exaggeration to
say that most of tho other half has
boon wasted ulflo, duo to tho piuvall
Ing Ignorance uud lucompotuuco of
county officials, who mo elected us
ually ollhor on account of their per
sonal popuhiilly or on account of
tholr stlngyuchs I. o ability to keep
taxes low, capacity being an Item sel
dom considered by the electorate
uud tho i enumeration being too small
to (ompt trained men.
Auto I'loblein,
Tho automobile, which awakened
good roads sentiment, has also added
a now problem. Tho road designed
by .loh u Macadam has pi oven Inade
quate. Tho stool the and the cork
or tho horso shoo In tlmo grind tho
lock to dust This dust has cemented
and formed a top dressing, which Im
proved tho road, hut tho unto picks
up this dust hy suction anil throws
It out Into tho air, so tho problem of
a iiiuuor that u ill bo i ustloss and
stnud tho traffic of both wagon and
automobile tates tho Ingenuity of the
world and makes loadhulldliig a
science by Itself. Many binders servo
the purpose, but tho cost Is prohibi
tive ror country roads. Experiments
havo been made In nil, tar, asphalt
and cement, nil of which servo the
purpose, but what Is practical lu one
place, Is prohibitive lu another, .to
that tho question Is after all a local
problem, which uach community must
work out. Each county should, hy
soil and rock analysis, ascertain for
each contemplated road, the treat
ment required.
Thu typo of road to be built de
pends entirely upon the character and
volume of traffic and tho materials at
hand, as-well as the money available
for construction. Earth and gravel
roads, properly graded, drained and
maintained aro sufficient In sparsely
settled districts, hut ror tho main
trunk linos or tho county, a hard sur
face, road Is tho only one that will
withstand tho narrow stool tiro ami
tho automobile. Hotter fa narrow
hard surface road, than u wide rock
macadam.
Macadam a I'ulliirc.
Macadam has proved a failure lu
our city streets. It Is expensive of
malntnlnauco and unsatisfactory,. no
matter how excellent tho material.
It Is equally unsatisfactory for tho
much traveled county load. In sum
mer It Is dusty, In winter tho auto
tears out ruts. Either a bituminous
asphalt or a cement concrete Is tho
satisfactory solution, and the cost or
a narrow road Is not oxcosslvo Mate
rials for tho mauiifaeturo of cement
exist lu largo quantities lu many Ore
gon counties, uud Its inanufactuto
will bo ono of tho loading Industries
of tho future. It will eventually ho
cheapened to n figure that will unable
its universal use on our main high
ways. Jackson county has a macadam
road between Medford und Jackson
ville. It In dusty lu summer, nud
rutty lu winter. It cost over $8000
a mllo, und was not properly con
structed, yet Is an excellent road. Ono
Interesting result of Its construction,
was tho establishment of an unto
stugo"mak(ug hair hourly trips. The
owner began business with a $700
second-hand cur and In n year was
running three cars. Ho charged .l.'
cunts a round trip as against tho rail
road's HO contH. Tho railroad made
six trips a day. At tho expiration or
thu year, the railroad ran hourly trips
ut 2fi cents u round lrlp( and tho unto
lino had cut Into tho railroad's re
ceipts $1000 a mouth- which shows
ono unexpected result of u good road
enabling cheap competition with rail
roads, buttering tholr service and
lowering tholr charges.
Cost of lloads,
Tho cost or macadam roads of from
10 to 20 root In width runs from
$0000 to $10,000 a mllo, tho average
lu coast status being $7200, Tho
cost lu Jackson county for quarrying,
crushing, hauling uud laying crushed
rock has run from $1,28 per cubic
yard to $11, dependent upon length of
haul and quarry facilities. Tho roads
II Inchon thick, 1(1 reel wldo, cost
from V'1000 to $r.r,()0 a mllo, nud
Jueksou county with Its convenient
quarries and modern equipment,
built thu cheapest roads lu tho state,
Oregon with wonderful scenic at
tractions, cllmullu resources and pic
turesque possibilities has entirely
neglected one of Its greatest assets
thu tourist truffle, With Itu iitUuru!
wonders liliulo accessible, fioni tho
Oiogou Caves and Outer Lake lu
southern Oregon to I ho top uf Ml.
Hood lu tho north, with adequate
highways, will How a never ceasing
stieam of money spending touihits,
that annually will ilmp enough moil
ey lu Oiogou lo pay (ho Intoiest oil
tho cost of all tho scoiilo boulevards
possible lo construct, that will ouch
your advertise thioiuihnot the world
tin- beauty and ullraetlvoiioss of the
stato ami bring an over liicroiislug
number of dosliublo hunwseokois lo
occupy our Idle tracts und' develop
our latent iohouitIis.
Legislation.
Two legbdatAo pioblems ato bo
font tho peoplo of Oregon to solse
hoforo any inalorhil ptugroifit rim. ho
uiiido lu good roads state aided
highways must ho made possible, and
state and counties nuthoilxod to con
tract road Indebtedness us cities do
paving Indebtedness Tim fit Mt ro-
qulres a constitutional amendment,
and tho second uu enabling act lo
put Into effect tho amendment passed
lu HMO.
Good toads agitation In Oiogou has
boon financed fioiu two sourc'v--dlslntorested
Individuals who coiittlh
tiled from u public spliltod motive
and load machinery houses acting
fiom purely selfish mot Urn. The
campaign conducted for good loads
has therefore been suspected of being
partially lu (ho Interest of road equip
ment cqucuriirt nud ongeiidoiod tho
susplcloii thnt tho proposed contrail
utloii of all toad building lu tho bands
of a stnto commissioner was In toallly
tho creation or a political orgaulMf
tlou for the sale of mini machinery.
Tho good road campaign has been
sadly muddled. Two .) ears ago. peo
plo thought they bail nettled tho prob
lem when the) adopted a ronntllu
tloiial amendment permitting coun
ties to Incur liidohtoduos for perinu-
noni roads.
Intent Was Clour.
On tho supposition thnt tho
amendment mount whut It Maid, nud
tho Intent was clear, tin people of
.Inch ron county proceeded to vote
loads for permanent hlghwu), hut
the supremo court derided, lu offoel,
that tho county had no right to Issue
bonds ami that tho amendment re
quired an enabling act, and that tho
bonds worn Invalid, lu this touneo
tlou, .attention In culled to tho fact
that tho Oregon supremo court tins
been an effective and consistent
enemy of good roads, and whenever
ponslble lias taken tho narrow Inter
pretation of tho constitution lo pre
vent highway building, lu thu
Crater Lake toad case, It buhl that
tho Crater Lake National park was a
local affair and tho appropriation
for tho stato highway to make ac
cessible Oregon's greatest natural
wonder wns therefore declared void.
This Is hut one of many decisions lu
which the court has tbiottled nt-,
tempts to develop tho state by ade
quate highways.
Legislation proposed during tho
legislative session was made n
political football, held up until
the closing hours of tho ses
sion, faultily amended and rushed
through. As thu bills conflicted with
eaclr other, thoy wore xetoed by tho
governor at tho request of tho good
roads associations Two years moro
of valuable tlmo was lost.
Committee Named.
Tho governor appointed a special
committee consisting or lopresentu
lives from all counties, who acting
with tho various associations, formed
tho Oregon Association for High
way Improvement, drafted a series
of hills for submission to tho people
hy Initiative petition, Those wore
fairly good measures, but met with
opposition from tho opponents or
progress becaiiHo thoy provided ror
liberal statu aid lu road construction.
To conciliate this opposition, tho as
sociation withdrew thu hills, and
framed others which aro now being
clrciilalod.
Ono of tho bills creates a state
board and highway commissioner and
provides for stato road bonds Issued
at tho rate or ujpillllou dollars an
nually fur stale roads, It ought to
ho two oii inoro millions. An tho
c,oustltutluu now stands, this net
would bo unconstitutional, An at
tempt Is made to make It constitu
tional by submitting ut the same tlmo
u pioposod amendment to section 7,
urtlclo 11 of tho constitution, raising
tho limit of stato Indebtedness for
PvU'iuuiiout roads to 2 per cent of (bo
assessed valuation; but this consti
tutional amenduient wilt not ho op
erative until tho polls clone on elec
tion day. This raises u question or
tho validity or thin und tho other
measures If oiluctod. Thoro hi no
other objection.
Two Per Cent Limit.
Instead or presenting an enabling
act to carry Into effect tho constitu
tional iimondiuout adopted In 1010,
tho association offers n now coiisll- "
tiitloual amendment limiting tho
uinount or a county's permanent road
Indebtedness lo two por cent or tho
assosHod valuation, nud uu enabling
act carrying It Into ofrect, which pro
vldoii In section 1.1 Unit tho procoodn
.'
.
(Coiitlmiod on 1'uko 8.)
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