Arizona republican., 1909-02-12
in progress that the question assumes

in progress that the question assumes the proportions of an original problem.
 We have to consider the compara- lively great distances separating our populous centers, the mountainous character of much of the country in voiving heavy expenditures for con- struction and maintenance, and the meagerness of the funds available for the purpose.
 Added to these is the question of administration so as to secure the maximum benefit with a minimum out lay.
 In the more populous and wealthy states the planning and execution of the work has been entrusted to a state engineer with good results. Here, where the territory to be covered is so great and the funds to be devoted to the purpose so small, the wisdom of having such an official may be doubted Were such an engineer ap- pointed he would of necessity have to have an able assistant in each county in order to properly supervise and carry on the work besides maintaining an efficient force at the capital. The salary, office force and expense of such an engineer amounting to from s1O.000 to s2O.000 per year, while not a large sum in itself, seems such a large percentage of the amount to be expended as to be unjustifiable if other satisfactory means of carrying on the
 work can be found.
 Referring to the county assistants named above, 1t would appear feasible to place the work on ;. basis of county units under the supervision of a com petent man in each county, say, the county surveyor dhe being presumably
 well fitted for the work by training and experience. FrAn objection might be found in the fart that 1t occasion ally happens that the men elected to that position are owhat are familiarly known as Hand butchers without any
 pretension to engineering training or ability. It is fair to assume, however, that if the responsibilities of road su- perintendent" were added to the office that such mistakes would be corrected at the next election.
 Provision should be made for an an
 nual meeting of these road superin- tendents when they should file their reports with some designated official of the territory, at which meeting pa pers might be read and discussions held pertaining to the work in hand, after the manner of other engineering associations In this manner we should
 be able to secure high degree of uniformity in the work, modified only to suit local conditions.
 One of the first questions to arise would be the location of roads to be improved. This matter should un- doubtedly be left to the various county boards and the road superintendents whose joint approval should be neces- sary. In a general way the territory would most likely divide itself natur- ally into two great improvement dis tricts, the northern and southern, or the mountainous and the plains. In these respective districts the great highways would most likely follow somewhat closely the transconLinental railways, as from Kingman to Hol- brook, with branches to Prescott and the Grand Canyon.
 In the southern division the most important line would likely be from Yuma to Douglas via Phoenix. Tempe, Nltodt lOAChScf AONSOiAJ A'SAtSCi 0AAN Bisbee, with branches to Globe. Tomb stone and wickenburg. The two sys- tens might be connected at one or more points as from Prescott to Wick enburg.
 The above is a bare outline of what the respective communities would like ly demand in addition to local i'm provements amounting to as much more. This means the expenditure of several millions of dollars extending over a long period of time. and em- phasizes the necessity of approaching the subject in a cautious manner and giving 1t thorough examination. As to what kind of road should be built, this is a question which will re- quire a separate answer for each To- cality. Generally speaking, the aim should be to cover the ground with roads as fast as possible with an eye to using the work done as basis for betterment to the condition of fair, good. excellent and perfect as fast as means and time permit.
 It is to be hoped that the legisla- ture now in session will not permit to pass it's opportunity of taking the ini- tiation in this, the most important matter now before it.
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