The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-14
Initial Steps in Relation to
Matter Taken at Meeting
Held Friday.
COST IN NEIGHB0RH00D
OF MILLION DOLLARS
Mass Meeting Called for Jan
uary IA, VIII Go Further
Into Question.

from Salt Lake City to Colorado can
yon-a distance of $50 miles-by auto
mobile in thirty-six hours, was the pos
sibility suggested by tho good roads
meeting in the governor g office Fri
day afternoon.
a great state highway, extending
from Logan on the north to ST. George
on the south, was discussed and the
first definite step toward securing such
n highway was taken, 10 enlist me
sympathy and aid of the people III the
movement, Governor John c. Cutler,
chairman of the meeting, was author
lied to call a good roads meeting, TO be
held in Salt Lake City, beginning jan
uary IA and lasting two or three days.
At first mass convention was pro
posed, but it was finally decided that
the best way TO secure good attendance
was TO pick delegates, and this author
ity was delegated 10 the governor The
MAYORS of cities and towns, county
commissioners, members of the leglsla,
turc, county surveyors and Officers or
commercial clubs VIII he made dele
gates to the convention by right OF OF,
flee, and the mayors VIII be authorized
to appoint five delegates in addition to
represent their respective cities and
towns at the convention.
Fridays meeting was called at the
| instance of tho Automobile club, which
has been exceedingly active IN aGltat-
| ing the proposition OF building state
| highway. to secure the Endorsement of
the senators, congressman, governor and
representative citizens TO get the legls-
lature 10 create funded Indebtedness
| 10 start the work with. Those present
were: Governor John Q. Cutler, Sena-
tor Reed Smoot, Congressman Joseph
Howell. County Commissioner J, i. Cos
griff, David h, Roberts, of Logan; Or
| n of
A. Quigley, l.. l.. Terry and c. w.
Dansie, of the Automobile club.
Will Cost Million.
The proposed road will cost, at q low
estimate, 81 100000, and since the state
is already in debt to the limit of its in
debtedness under the law, it will be
necessary to issue bonds TO build the
! highway. The purpose Of the good roads
convention here in January is to arouse
public sentiment IN favor OF creating
! funded Indebtedness of S4,000,O00 or
| $5 100000 to build this and other state
highways also contemplated, and TO go
before the legislature and lobby meas.
ure through that body for the issuing
of tho bonds aud such other legislation
as may be necessary TO build the great
state highway.
Under the present statutes, it would
| he impossible to create q funded in
debtedness for the building of the road.
| New legislation will be necessary, which
will not be effective under less than
two years, but this compulsory delay,
| il is argued, Is in favor OF, rather than
! against the project, Ii is tho opinion
of many at this time that public senti-
ment over Utah is against the increas
ing of the indebtedness OF the state
for the construction of the highway,
and that tho people would defeat the
proposition TO create funded indebted
ness amounting 10 $4,000,000 to S5,000,-
900 for that purpose. The compulsory
delay in securing new legislation pro
| viding for the issuing of bonds to
build state roads will give the advo-
Gates Of the movement plenty of time
! in which to overcome the sentiment
! against a great state highway suffici-
emily to turn the balance Of power IN
its favor.
New York to Front.
In this connection it was pointed out
that New York has recently devoted
$5o,0o0,000 for the Improvements of
roadways in that state; California has
voted S,000,O00-Los Angeles county
alone SO 500, 0,000-Minnesota $4,000
600, and Others are rapidly coming into
line for q great national good roads
movement. Kansas is building q road
AT the state line that will run right
through the state TO Nebraska,
1t is tho belief of members of the
Automobile club that the material for
the road exists in abundance In Utah,
which would materially reduce the cost
Ono estimate of the cost n milo was
placed AT $4,000, The road would be
twenty-tour feet wide, as now planned
a radical change in the road laws of
the state was also discussed and will
probably he embodied in a bill to be
| presented to the legislature by Mr Rob
| - ,,,hi hi.,h -
lishment of q system of state highways,
o state highway building fund and the
creation OF a state road commission,
with branches il each county, which
would entirely take the construction
and repair of highways out Of the hands
of the county commissioners
County Commissioner Cosgriff gave
eloquent testimony in favor of the last
proposed measure. pointing out the dis.
advantages of the present system s'In
this county there are thirty.two road
districts, ;, said Mr., Cosgriff, (Which
require thirty two road supervisors
Laying aside personal friendship and
politics it is doubtful if that many com.
petent supervisors can be obtained'
Five Proposed Measures.
Mr.. Roberts, who was connected with
the old good roads movement in Utah,
aside from the proposed measures ad-
vocated by the meeting Friday after
noon, will present five other measures
to the legislature, as follows:
An act establishing n standard sys-
TEN of construction of the public roads
in the state of Utah aud the various
counties thereof.
An act defining the powers OF county
commissioners as TO highways, appoint
ing county road commissioners, defin-
ing their duties; also providing an an
nual road polltax. specifying who shall
be liable--manuer of collecting and ex-
pending the same.
An act providing for the compulsory
use of broad tires upon wagon wheels
after the year 1915.
An act providing for tho use of con.
and regulating compensation for ser. SCI
vices rendered.
An act providing. assessment for
damage to highways by flooding. with
irrigation or ether waters. and fixing
the responsibility for such damage,