The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-05-04
UNITED EFFORT FOR GOOD
ROADS OVER THE WEST.
Six States to Be Represented at
Meeting at PocateIo-An interest
ing Progrm isB eing Prepared.

wards Pocatello where the secOs d an
nual convention Of the Intermountain
Good Roads association will be held
June %, 23 and "a. Delegates from
Idaho, Wyoming, Montana. Utah and
Nevada will attend. 1t is believed
that the convention will start a move,
ment that will work wonders within
the next five years in the way Of i'm
proved highways in these states. In
dividual efforts of each of the sew
raj states is under way, and the re
cent legislatures passed various laws
that will forward the work.
Relative to the meeting and the
part Utah and Salt Lake expects to
play in it the Tribune has the follow
ing to say:
There is on foot movement to ex-
tend national road from the extreme
southern part of Utah to the Canadian
border Wyoming and Montana stand
ready, it is said to- push the road on
through their territory to the border
thus giving a vast territory as tribu
tary to the business of the intermoun
tain states.
In the work of forwarding the good
roads project thers are number of
influences at work in Utah. There are
the Good Roads association, the Auto
mobile club, the good roads commit
tee of the Salt Lake Commercial club
and the good will of the various
boards Of county commissioners, cou-
pied with the recent legislation af-
fecting good roads, all tending to
bring Utah to the front as ONE of
the intermountain states that will be
in line of progress in road building.
The executive committee of the good
roads convention appointed for Utah
undoubtedly will have good report
to make TO the m citing in June.
Three new laws are now on the
statute books of Utah. The convict
labor law gives the state the services
of about 125 convicts of the state
prison. This is estimated as equal to
an appropriation of 'S360,000 for road
building. The bill appropriating S20,-
600 for The maintenance of the con-
victs on road work and tn law en-
powering boards of county COM
nlissioners to levy a tax of five mills
in each county for the work of build
ing roads are results of recent leg
islation y
The new laws will work, say the
advocates of good roads, in a way
that is bound to bring about wonder
full progress in the matter of public
roads for the state. Congressman
Howell's bill, it is maintained, is rea-
sonably sur. of passage. 1t appro-
pirates $10,OOO,0OO for the building
ot government roads, and Utah will
receive at least 100000 of this ap-
preparation. Taking all these things
into consideration it is urged that the
good roads movement will terminate
in much permanent improvement.
One of the parts of the stats de
manding a public improvement high
way is the San Juan country-Utah's
oil district. 1t is known that move
ment in Colorado and a like move
ment in New Mexico are on to pusf
the pixies of these two states across
sh state lines into the San Juan
country. 1t is held by the good
roads men of Salt Lake and the state
that the need of a good road into
chat country is imperative, and that,
in case il is not brought about, the
stfvta practically will lose all of the
vast territory. that is certain to de-
yelop the instant roads get into that
section. TIL movement, it is said,
has gone so far in New Mexico that
the road is promised as soon as the
oil men agree to begin pumping,