Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-07-27
G0vERNMENT EXPERT MAKES
REPORT To COMMISSIONERS
Fay Mcclure, United States Highway Engineer, After
thorough Study of Road Conditions IN BernaNlo County,
suaoests Thai Efforts at Road Building Be Concentrated
ond That ali Road Districts Be Consolidated, With One
S"uoeryisOr TO Oversee the Construction.

However. in the past it has been diff
ffcult or impossible to collect a large
part of this tax. The commissioners
hone to obtain soon frem the court
a ruling which will compel its pay
ment Here. US has been Invariably
The case everywhere. very Inefficient
work IL obtained from the taN paid BY
labor, and bat little benefit is derived
n proportion to the time expended.
In many of the cider states 1t has
been found wise to abolish the time
honored labor tax system of work
me the roads. and to compel the pay
ment OF all taxes in cash. The COM
missioners are required 20 make a levy
.of / mill or less for the "Camino Real,
lie expended by the county upon a
through territorial road designated by
the territorial officials.
AS soon as The route is established
through the county a levy of ! mill,
amounting to S3.500. can be made and
expended thereon. Thus the maxi
mum sum which il is possible 10 raise
for road and bridge purposes is as
follows:
From road and bridge tax of 8
mills .,....... ......... S1O,5oO
From per capitaX Of $500. 5000
From Canine Real tax Of ] min $500
By q systematic expenditure Of these
amounts each year the highways
throughout the valley can in q few
years be put in excellent condition.
TO obtain a better system Of admins
~tration and expenditure of the road
fund. it is recommended that the num-
Der Of road districts he reduced to one
By doing this it Will be possible to
appoint a competent road superinten-
dent or overseer who, by devoting his
entire time to the work, can deter
mine the best possible treatment for
each condition encountered and can
carry'out the construction in an eff
| cient manner A permanent working
force as large as the funds will per-
nit, should be organized for trained
workmen n teams properly manag-
ed viii accomplish twice as much as
an inexperienced force by doing sys-
tematic work in this way, the greatest
Improvement can be made.
Fourth street Road
An Improvement of the Fourth
street road between Albuquerque and
Alameda IS urgently needed for the
distance or six miles, on about four
and a half miles the soil win make
a fairly good road if properly graded
and crowned. For a distance of one
ana one half miles the road is through
deep, loose sand. which makes traffic
difficult and ~disagreeable. This Sec
tion should be graded to the required
width and covered with Il layer of
| adobe. The adobe can be found adj
%jacent to the road at convenient
points. The estimated cost of the
work required is as follows:
Grading a IL miles at $500 S 800
| Grading and surfacing with
adobe / IL miles of sandy
road at $500 ........ 5000
Total .... $500
The many acequias or irrigating
bitches which cross the road and are
spanned by unsafe wooden culverts
ana which are generally several feet
higher than the land and roadway. are
"a disagrceable %impediment 20 traffic.
At these places concrete culverts or
siphons should be constructed in such
a manner as To provide an unbroken
| grade for the roadway.
Estimated Cost of Permanent Roads.
IN a few years o the conditions