Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-10-28

or the man who N even driving for
pleasure. A prominent real estate
dealer remarked yesterday that there
was no poorer advertisement for the
Tempe section than that very thing
1t had spoiled as many sales for him
with prospective purchasers, parties
coming here with a view to locating,
as all other things combined. When
a man comes here with the idea of
locating and is taken to a place for
sale by real estate agent or anyone
eise and en- route to that place has to
slow down and splash through one,
two or more bad places in the road
it naturally gives him a poor opinion
of the country. Too much stress can
not be laid on this question of roads.
1t is acknowledged by all that good
roads are greatly to be desired and
working with that end in view a num-
Der of different ones more or less in
| terested have taken the subject up
with the board of supervisors. AS a
result of thus bringing the matter to
their attention, two members of the
board, Jack Steward of Mesa and John
Orme of Phoenix, came here Saturday
and made a thorough investigation of
several roads. One Is between Mill
avenue and the Hayden ranch-the
Mesa road. A portion of that road.
that part of it within the city limits,
is in the best of shape. but the rest
is poor. to say the least. The super
visors let 1t be understood that some
action would at once be taken toward
repairing this road and putting 1t in
good shape. This is a move in the
right direction, and 1t is to be sin
cerely hoped that the good work will
not stop with the Mesa road. but will
be continued on other roads where
grading and filling in is much needed.
A comparison greatly detrimental to
Tempe Is frequently drawn between
the public roads in the Mesa district
and those i'm this district. Anyone ia
miliar with the respective merits of
the roads in these two districts must
admit that the roads on the Mesa are
vastly superior to the ones here. II is
conceded that il is easier to make good
roads and keep them up in the Mesa
section than here on account of the
difference in the ground, but never
theless there Is another reason that
plays an equally important part. Mesa
and Tempe started out with an equal
apportionment of money for road work,
S1,400 each. At the present time the
Mesa money has been used up and
the district Is in the hole. to use a
common but expressive term. On the
other hand Tempe has credit of
s13S.26; has that amount OF money
that is and has been for a long time
available for use In the repair of
roads. The district is flush, so to
speak. Now note the difference. Mesa
is in the hole and can boast of the
best set of public roads in the Salt
River valley. Tempe is flush with
road money" and probably the less
said about its roads the better.
AS mentioned above, however, the |
supervisors have made recommended |
tons and, il is intimated, have shown |
their willingness to advance more |
funds if necessary for the repair of |
the Mesa-Tempe road that is used by |
both towns, and II now appears as If |
in a short time to come Tempe will |
have public roads of which it may not |
need to be ashamed and which will |
favorably with the roads of |
the Mesa district, even though the |
natural conditions are harder to con-
tend with.