Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-04
SUPERIORITY OF THE SAN
DIEGO ROUTE POINTED OUT

The superiority of the San Diego au-
tom ton m2biie G route between the sea ano
Gated by Los Angeles is pointed out
editorially by Charles Fuller Gates,
editor of Pacific Motoring. published
at Los Angeles. The article appears
cation.
1t is of especial interest to the hun
tty residents who have been working
hard to convince the state highway
commission that the San Diego route
is given credit by Editor Gates OF bav-
ing already accomplished much
The article follows: Between tno
certainly need of a state road, for
much of the distance is across the des-
ert. where few people live along the
cannot keep up. such road: Now
comes the question whether the best
route is the fairly direct route be-
which is but little over 200 miles
in length. less than 220 miles. in fact.
the way, but the way the road runs
at present, is about 100 miles shorter
than by the proposed ocean to ocean
highway which runs north from Braw-
ley. along the west side of Salton
sea to Mecca, and then $50 miles north
west to Los Angeles.
"As TO the San Diego route, it brings
the eastern tourists and Arizona peo-
pie to the coast at San Diego first,
which is naturally not desired by Los
Angeles, but the coast road from San
Diego to Los Angeles is a good road
all the year, and tourists are bound
to come on to Los Angeles, and for
that matter continue up the coast to
San Francisco, visiting all points o.
interest. so the state as a whole is
benefited, which is the object of state
roads.
Nov. as to the Mecca Brawley
route, fathered by the ocean to ocean
M he N
ing to the Los Angeles Times people
in the neighborhood Of Salton sea and
Brawley: and duo if chosen eh as the only
ist travel will have to come through
the land boom part of the desert. in
eoas from yuma whch viii o TO rhe
make the land sell better. 1t will
also take the heavy transcontinental
the Coachella valley towns-Coachella
Thermal, Indio-and then through the
boom towns of Banning and Beaumont
Naturally all these boom towns of the
desert region are for the longer route.
and all have contributed nobly toward
the work that has already been done
on this proposed route. Los Angeles
boomers of this route have just agreed
to assess the merchants of the metrop-
oils 100000 to be spent on this route
and use its influence to get the state
highway commission to use the funds
devoted to the state road, along this
route.
mere again is a nara problem Tor
| the highway commission to decide, ard
back Of it is the old fight of Los Ang-
| eles against San Diego and San Diego
against Los Angeles. In this case San
tural resistance, the shortest distance
| and the least desert, but the only towns
| OF the Imperial country on the San
Diego route will be Holtville and Ell
Centro, with the rest of the Imperial
valley and Coachella valley towns op-
posing.
! "As Attornev-Geperal purdv PuIlard
| told the auxiliary of the Ocean to
! Ocean Highway Association last week:
| If San Diego gets her road in shape
| for Arizona to use il before YOU get
the Brawley-MeCca route open, why
| Arizona will 90 To san Diego aud take
| spend that now goes TO Los Angeles
50 YOU see here Is q pretty race for
! A million dollars "A year as the cap
| ital prize, ana the general public will
| s-t two good roads across the desert
| As a result.
san Diego is already in the lead.
/ Tor her road 10 Yuma Is now uSable
! while the road from Brawley to Mecca
is only laid out. san Diego has gone
| ahead ia the past fortnight and do
! mated S51.uuh To Imperial county. to
I help her sister county complete work
| ou a very bad stretch on the Imperial
| county part Of this Yuma To san Diego
| road. Los Angeles comes back with
\ orders 20 Superintendent BigelOw u
| ~ once spend S5unu on the Mecca 10
| srawley stretch. ana between GiamiS
/ and Yuma, SO that the Phoenix road
/ race viii show more speed over this
/ route than was made over the San
Diego route last year. IL is said even
| that two hours better time must be
! made over the new route than was
made last year or san Diego wins.
80 the Phoenix race may decide this
and Los Angeles and again il may not.
] ouien sabe'"