Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-11-13
.CO-OPE RATION BY
!. COUNTIES BUILDS
GOOD ROADS
NEW MEXICO MAY LEARN
A LESSON FROM TEXAS
Great Highways Being Laid
Across Vacant PIainSi Expert
Mcclure Goes from New
Mexico to Texas,
Especial Correspondence % MarpiaG Journan

Especial Correspondence 60 Msrnia& Journnil
san Antonio. Texas. Nce ll.--ln
the absence OF federal or state aid for
good roads southwest Texas is setting
about the solution Of the good roads
question IN a manner that may be OF
interest to New Mexico and scores Of
other states where the organization
Tor directing the construction of good
roads Is poor. In this state. a. IN
"a great many others, there Is no pro-
vision for the construction of good
roads hy the state, This matter is en-
tirelY IN the hands OF the county Of
licials. In territory as sparsely set
tied as southwest Texas still is, in
spite OF its enormous Immigration
good roads are particularly necessary
because the distances to be travelled
are long. Imperative necessity has
forced the counties 60 organize among
themselves To direct this work, As In
an other states there are some pro-
gressiVe counties which vote Tor good
roads bonds and special taxes quite
readily. Others refuse 60 do SO. Now
the proposition of each county IL
usually to get good highway across
several counties in addition to pro-
vidinp It's own little network Of good
roads. Therefore. having voted bonds
the county officials of the fortunate
county takes up negotiations with the
neighboring county through which a
good road is desired on very much
the same basis thai one nation would
negotiate a treaty with another. The
obvious advantage OF the good road
in question, Is usually sufficient argu-
ment to induce the backward coun-
~ to fall into line
But the county having good roads
fund AZ its disposal has force as well
ms diplomacy nj it's command, Such
a county. presuming that IL has an
obstinate neighbor to the north. can
construct all county highways up to
within two, three, -four or five miles
of the county line and then leave an
Intervening area OF very bad roads.
This very seldom fails To force the
neighboring county to action.
Csing these methods it is possible
To drive a highway straight as the
crow flies across several hundred
miles of country where the per capita
cost of good roads is comparatively
high owing to the fact that southwest
Texas is far from being thicblY pop
ulated such proposition Is now
being handled between San Antonio
and Corpus Christi The bureau OF
good roads at Washington was re-
qucsted to send an expert 60 furnish
the county officials Information about
routee ana road material. Fay Me-
Clure was sent ana has recently sub
mitted his preliminary report Com
mercial clubs along the way and the
san Antonio Chamber of Commerce
are now lending their moral support
to the propositlo nand there Is little
doubt that the next few months VIII
see under way q road going straight
from san Antonio TO Corpus Christi,
through what WIS only a few years
ago the very stronghold of the cattle
baron, Undoubtedly no other means
ut the command of those who realize
the Importance of good county roads
could accomplish these results. A
TO get federal aid for good
roads has been waged In desohltory
manner, ana thus far fruitlessly, for
many years State aid for roads in
. sparsely settled state always pre-
sents the difficult that the money can
be spent several hundreds of miles
away from AT least thrce-fourths Of
the population.
1t is interesting TO observe what n
dynamo of activity one county with
Il good roads fund at its command
becomes. Some years ago Bexnr coun-
~, OF which san Antonio Is the pTln-
cipal part. voted bond Issue of
$500, 600. with this a network OF
good roads was built that made the
loop of this scenic bit Of
territory nationally famous Since
then county roads have radiated in
every direction from this city until
now IL is possible 10 make al least
twenty trips to rs many different
towns within one hundred miles OF
San Antonio over roads which are in
excellent condition all the year. The
suggestion for all Of these roads came
from the example set lay this one
In fact 50 successful have been the
efforts Of the good roads builders of
Texas that "a proposition Is now be-
ing urged for the construction Of a
high way that shall run due north ana
south from the Red river the north
ern boundary OF Texas, To the Rio
Grande. the southern boundary. Such
a road Will be about 500 miles long
II will travel from blizzard swept
prairie 10 a territory in which snow
has never been seen. IL VIII be long
enough To cross At least two OF any
other states IN the union. That sueh !
a proposition should he seriously CON
by "a mere collection OF coun
lies is some indication of the results
which Texas is obtaining iu It's ef-
forts for rood roads.