Weekly journal-miner., 1912-08-28
HOT DISCUSSION OVER HIGHWAY
 ROUTE
(Nom rLAay'e Daily.l

| so'e TOT iavapai county should be expended was the subject of an animated and. at times, an seri- monious discussion at the meeting last evening of the Chamber of Commerce. The whole question re- volved over whether the $i7,00O st the disposition of the board should be used in extending the present state highway south or should be applied indirectly to building a road from Copper Basin through Kirk land to Wickenburg. 1t being claim cd that the latter road could be constructed within ono year and with the funds that are available. By invitation Supervisors Mouer and Luke of Maricopa, and State En- gineer Cobb and Attorney General Bullard were present and gave their views on the state highway move ment.
 In a fervid speech T. C.. Norris opened the discussion and declared that the state road money raised in this county should be expended on the highway that had already been started. As an earnest of its good faith 'Yavapai county money had been used to assist in the building of the highway at time when it seemed that no further money could be obtained from the territorial road fund. It was not simply road between Prescott and Phoenix but state artery. He urged that En- gincer Cobb should put prisoners at work on the road in the mountains in order to expedite the work at a minimum of expense. Before the road money would be expended the legislature would meet and then work could be started for a $5,0O,- 0OO bond issue.
 Supervisor Stephens upon being called upon stated that no definite plan had been decided upon although the money would be expended upon the state highway, A part of this route. he pointed out. lay in the Verde valley where there was a bridge constructed without any ap- breaches and stretch of road which stuck up like a sore thumb being impossible at present to traf- fife.
 State Engineer Cobb thanked the chamber for the invitation to par ticipatc in what appeared to him to be family row. He then recited the salient features of the Roberts road law Under 1t there will be no road money until December 1
 Of the fund 2S per cent is to be spent by the Board of Control and state engineer. but this percentage
 was offset by deficiency and b, special appropriations charged to tn, road fund. The remainder, 75 pei cent is to be expended on road'
 selected by the supervisors and th'
 state engineer. MT. Cobb stated
 that his policy is to defer to thu
 will of the various Boards of Su
 pervisors as to the selection O
 routes. He did not care to influenc'
 any board. He pointed out tha
 sl90,000 had been spent of the stat,
 road fund in Yavapai county whicl had only contributed in taxes $oo,
 000 to that fund. With that cx penditure ? miles of road had beeI constructed in this county. Unde the present tax levy he figured tha [ this county would receive $l7,M from the state fund after setting
 aside about 5000 for the repai oi the present highway. If thi sl7OOO was spent toward the ex tension of the road, he thought tha an appeal to the legislature for special appropriation to complete tn Prescott IPhoenix road would b' successful, but not if the presen , highway were abandoned. In closinl he added that Representative Lin , ney of this county had been th most insistent of any member fo a larger appropriation for road pur poses.
 . Supervisor Mouer of Maricop  ' county declared that this part O : the highway was more beautiful a . scenic route than the Rooscvel , road. If completed it would be al
 inducement for people to come am settle here. If completed to th . Maricopa line, the board of tha
 county would connect with it am
 extend it to Phoenix, but nothinI
 would be done until it was know where the connecting point woul