Arizona republican., 1910-04-14

named. The list included MT. Sanders
 who said that while he was heartily in favor of good roads movement he 1 did not believe that he would add to the effectiveness of the committee be- 1 fore the board and especially before IChdirman Hoghe He would therefore decline. The committee which appear cd before the board was then appoint led
 Previous to this action. Mir. Black mer had stated the object of the meet
 ing and had then made the following address
 1 MT. Chairman
 l In discussing the matter of our roads we should have in mind only the ad- vancement of our community. no per sonalities whatever should be spoken. l If we have bad roads it is primarily the fault of the taxpayers. the people
 who are paying the money that is not being used to the best advantage. If
 we are silent and dumb as clans on the subject it must he presumed on the part of our county road superintendent and the county supervisors that we are satisfied
 The long continued condition of the road of a community reflect the degree of intelligence and enterprise of it's people: the fertility of the soil and nearly every other matter pertaining to an agricultural district may he judged by the manner in which the roads are kept. l have looked over what books I have on the subject to see if | Would be sustained by any authority in the statements l had made. found the following on page li5 of the 1908 Year Book of the De- partmcnt of Agriculture. as/follows:
 The relation of public roads to education is one which has been large ly overlooked. It is a more or less will known fact that we have in all our states a number of illiterates. While there are 2 number of contributOry causes to illiteracy, it is significant to note that in four states where the average percentage of improved roads is 30.55 the percentage of white illit crates is only 0.34 of one per cent of the total population and in four states in which only l.51 of the road mileage is improved the per cent of white it. literates is 416. It is probable that bad roads are partly a cause and part ly an effect of ignorance. but it cer- tainly appears that the two are closely related"
 Our lands are selling flor s50 to s100 per acre: this section is famous for. it's alfalfa and livestock production: the dairying business brings thousands of dollars per month to our farmers, our people are prosperous and well-to- do. We believe we are enterprising. and wish to be considered an intelligent community. With all of this however We have sorely neglected our roads. we are still allowing our money to be spent in the use of that obsolete i'm plement of road construction. the old slip scraper, and are allowing our county road superintendent and the board of supervisors to think we arc satisfied to call a finished road ride of dirt thrown up in humps and bumps that requires six months of travel be- fore they are worn down to a tolcrable condition for hauling over with even our heaviest vehicles.
 This condition is not only as bad or worse than throwing our money away but such roads preclude us from re- ceivipg many benefits that would come 1 to us without asking. We can mention l that good roads always shorten dis | tances: that less that year ago Post ! master McClintock of Phoenix said if | the roads were permissable he would | recommend to the postoffice depart | ment d daily automobile mail delivery ] from Phoenix to the Hassayampa | river. Good roads are the best possible | recommendation for progressiyeness | and prosperity of country, therefore ! the best possible advertisement to 3 stranger to settle here. and help still | more to advance our valley. Every | thrifty new settler is a valuable asset | to our valley. our plain duty therefore | is to get the better roads.
 But how are we to bring about an l in the matters affecting | our roads?
 Before I conclude I wish to make a | motion that if carried and put into ef feet l believe will greatly facilitate | matters.
 do not wish to make this motion in the beginning of this meeting for the | purpose of cutting short the discussion but much to the contrary as the mo-
  submit it for discussion.
 l move you that the chair appoint a committee of five men. taxpayers from this assemblage. whose duty if shall be to look into the matter of the improvement of our highways. arrange q conference with Mir Acuff. our coun- ty road superintendent and the county board of supervisors. and to rccom- mend to them such changes and in- provements as in the committees judgment will best conserve and pro mote the welfare of the travelling pub lie and the taxpayers.
 And that we In support of said com mittee and their recommendation to the county superintendent and super yisors subscribe our names to a list to De presented as credentials from this meeting
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