Bisbee daily review., 1912-10-13

the interests of automob.Ilng anI Let ter roads. in its October number pub fishes an article writteh by Joseph II. Gray, secretary of the Warren, District Commercial club, telling of the steps the state of Arizona is taking for the construction of a chain of state high ways and also of the work that has been done locally for the Borderland Route and detailing some of the ad- vantages this ocean to Ocean High way has to offer as an all the year round thoroughfare. The magazine has large and general circulation and therefore gives to this section of Arizona a wide publicity among pos sible transcontinental tourists. It is of interest also to the people of this section of the state and is therefore reproduced.
 Arizona, the forty-eighth and latest in the galaxy of states, is not one bit behind any of her elder sisters in the movement for good roads which is now sweeping the nation, but on the contrary is taking leading position in the forefront of them all
 It is true that she is handicapped by a comparatively small and widely scat tered population in a vast and undevei- oped territory, but she is by no means daunted. but rather is stimulated toward still greater efforts along this line, for better roads are most impo r. ant to her development and her pro gress in all branches of industry and growth. These facts, the people oi the youngest state fully recognize; they are thoroughly awakened to the importance of opening in all direc- tions ready means Of communication and business intercourse.
 Under territorial administration a beginning was made in the building of chain of scenic highways, from north to south and from east to west so that the principal cities and towns might be linked where railroads were few and far apart, and routes established for travel for pleasure as well as bus mess through the most picturesque sections of the then territory.
 In the south such road building Vas not expensive or difficult, but in the north it was a different matter. There precipitous mountain ranges had to be traversed, there was much cutting and | large fills made. As a result of these difficulties the progress of some of the road building on the proposed terri torial highways has seemed to be slow. There was difficulty in raising the necessary funds, since this had to be, done by a general tax. Each county desired to have the major part of it contributed to this fund expend ed within it's own borders and some of the counties refused to make the payments into the territorial treasury on other terms than these, while in the counties where road building was most difficult and most expensive there was the spaTsest population and the least taxable wealth.
 How Funds are Raised
 Under state government such sys tenn of construction of state highways is to be continued by the levy of tax of 9 cents on $10O of property and 75 per cent of the money so raised is to be utilized for the construction Of state roads in each county so contri- outing, the 25 per cent remaining. go- ing to the. construction of roads in the counties which are not able to contribute the full cost of road builG- ing in their limits. While this method is slow, it is the only means at hand except bonding the state for roads and his latter method has met with suffi- Tient oPosition 10 prevent its adoption at the first legislative session. Its advocates advance the excellent argu- ment that it would give good roads ! immediately, while the burden of pay ment of the bonds as they mature would fall equally on subsequent set | tiers with present residents.
 By the proposed system of highways now being thus constructed, there will | be a fine road running from the | southeasteTly corner of the state through Douglas, the great smelling center of the Southwest, where are re duced the 300 tons of ore that are each day shipped from the mines of 1 Bisbee and the Warren district, Tomb. stone, Tucson. Phoenix and Yuma ! From a point just east of Bisbee there | is to be constructed a north-and-south road connecting the southern cities with Clifton. Morenci and Globe. tra versing the agricultural regions of the | Sulphur Springs and Gila valleys and meeting d second east-and-west roa1 [ which win connect the other northern | cities with Prescott and thence or | north once more to Flagstaff and tC that greatest of scenic wonders. ths ! gTandest scenic spectacle of Arizona | the Grand Canyon In the westeTT l part. of the state there is another lnorth-and-south highway now il
 course of construction, from Phoeni, Ito Prescott At the latter point I fmeets the northeTly eastand-wes thighWay
 . In addition to this work all O
 the counties Of the state are contTi
 tutiug Hberally to the good road'