Imperial Valley press., 1910-06-11


 ley system. In January of the pres ent year work on the final location of the mountain road was commeno ed and this location was made and es. inmates worked up for this and for those roads in the valley enumerated below.
 The original plan of your Commis sion, as to the improvement of the valley roads, has been very much modified owing to the necessity for coming within the limit of our bond. ing capacity. The assessed valua- tion of this county for the fiscal year 19O9-1910 is $9,795OO. Five per cent of this amount would be $474,S39.75. Although our assessed valuation will be very much higher for the year 19l0-11, at the present time our bond ing capacity is limited to $474,S39,75.
 Your Commission deemed it of great importance to establish in the valley one main artery running North and South through the center of the val ley. Such a road is proposed in the road from Calexico to Brawley. This road, for many reasons, your Commis sion deems it advisable to construct among the first. For the same req son your Commission considers that an east and west road is equally ne- cessary. Such route they have planned in the road from Holtville to the Westside Main canal.
 The others, included in the original belt line plan, it considers must, of necessity, be postponed for the pres ent. After deducting the cost of these two main arteries, mentioned above, the balance left to us is such that we could improve only small part of the belt line and we have for this reason and for other reasons stat ed below, d.. emed it advisable to rec ommend the construction, at this time, of these two main roads and the road to Mountain Springs, leaving the belt line for later bond issue.
 In the matter of the road from Mountain Springs to the West Side Main Canal, your Commission finds
 Continued on page 4)
 that a much better route than the present road through Devils Canon can pc obtained, and that at less cost than would be incurred were the improvement of the present road at tempted. The new route would, in addition, pass through country where it would be much easier to guard against damage by cloudbursts than would be road constructed in the bottom or on the side of Devils Canon.
 In addition to this, the principal objection to the present road, fea- ture even more objectionable than the rocky canon stretch, is the nine miles of heavy sand immediately west of Coyote We'll. This is all eliminated in the new route and we have suc- ceeded, with the exception of one stretch a little less than one and a half miles in length, in finding road with maximum grade of six per cent, all of which will be compara- lively cheaply maintained.
 Your Commission, realizing the val ue and importance of good roads as very tangible asset to land values and being mindful of the good roads movement throughout all of Southern Californa believe that our County has reached a point in it's development where the necessity for good roads fs apparent to all as means of ad- ding wealth and comfort to our citi- zens. The farmer desires a road to his nearest marketing point which will permit him to haul maximum loads at minimum cost. Time being the es- sence of all things, good roads expe dite business, promote good-fellow- ship between neighboring towns and mark the standard Of good citizen ship.
 The proposed trunk road from West side Main Canal to Mountain Springs twenty-seven and one-quarter miles in length, impresses your commission as of vital importance as an economic investment to our Valley residents and in a large measure will solve the summer vacation problem" for peo- pie of limited means.
 This road will place the many desir able camping places, abounding in shade and water, within a days tray