Arizona republican., 1904-03-16
ALL FOR THE ToNTo ROAD
The Board of Trade Has Taken the i''.- Matter Up.

L's
 2 .5'he most enthusiastic meeting of the board of trade in years was held last night The subject under considera- tfoa was the Tonto road proposition. There was an unusually large attend ance of the members and the greatest interest was taken In the forthcoming election for the voting of bonds by the towns of Mesa. Phoenix and Tempe.
 President Fowler presented the sub ject and then read a paper prepared by Judge Kibbey on the advantages of the road to the valley. It was pointed out in the first place that the cost of the construction of the Tonto Basin dam would be lessened by the amount that would be expended in the building of the road so that much would be saved to the farmers of the valley. It was also shown that the wages paid fer labor on the dam would amount to 5000 daily at a most conservative es- timate and that by an equally consery- ative estimate there would be required daily for food for the laborers $500. These sums would in fact probably be doubled.
 It was further shown that without the road very little, if any. of this money would reach the valley; that Tucson, Globe or Fl I'aso would be nearer to the seat of operations, that labor would be hired at one of those places and that the payment for it would be made there.
 Mir. Fowler prefaced his remarks by the statement that if from any point of view he did not believe that the road would be 2 paying investment for the citizens. of the three towns. he would not favor it
 He said that he had heard that there had been an objection raised that ulti- mately the roadbed would pass into the hands of capitalists who would make a great deal of money of it for a railroad or an electric road. He said that he probably was familiar with the plans in contemplation and he was prepared to say that there had been no understanding with any person regard ing the future of the rOadhed. And he ~s1te say further that If any capitalist NUaiH take hold of the matter and saaa&e great deal of money out of 1t De could not do so without the valley sEaAing great deal more.
 There was another objection that the towns of Tempe and Mesa, particularly the latter, would be the chief benef- ciaries of the road. Mr. Fowler said that they could derive no greater bene- fit from it than the most broadmtnded resident of Phoenix might desire The whole valley would profit and the profit could be confined to no particular part of it.
 pV. w. w. Hiboard raised question WAich had not been previously discus seS in connection with the road. That TaS, who would maintain it after it
  that matter had been unintentionalIy oaottted from the statement prepared by Judge Iibbey. He would say though, tha4 that had been gone over and that the government would have charge of the maintenance of the road until fine members of the Water Users associa- ton had finished paying for the dam. That would be ten years after the mo- Infection of the completion of the dam or about fifteen years from the present time. Other questions regarding the ownership of the road and the sale ot a possible franchise were asked. Nr Fowler replied that these matters had not been disposed of and that ~AiJe tbe inquiries. were quite proper tArX were of less importance at this tsRfc than the securing of the road. TAere were addresses by several mern- SsrS. all of whom were warmly in fa- ~'0~ Of the road. .4with the single excep- St0n of Eugene Brady O'Neill, Who be- l'sFsd he saw init a greater advantage . tof she south side than for Phoenix.
 W. J. Kingsbury. of Tempe, believed tsAt though his town and Mesa would FFpSs less directly by the road than as$ metropolis, there would be so much frohs to the whole valley That they Hcsiid get a part of it and he would ad- TCtste the voting of the bonds bv the residents of Tempe
 If vas resolved to hold, at an early date, aa educational mass meeting. The Following committee was appoint cd to make arrangements for 1t. and tc have general charge of tie campaign m securing registrations for the cleo lion and in getting the voters out. Vernon l.. Clark, J. A. Marshall, c. H Akers. A. +. Davidson, Dave Gold. berg and T. T. Powers