The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-04-26
167 CONGRESSMEN IN FAVOR IF
 GOOD ROADS
Dell M Potter of This County In At tendance at the Old Trails Con- Vention In Kansas City.

As now planned the Ocean to Ocean Highway will pass through the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl- vania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
 Before leaving MT. Potter stated that this would be one of the most important conventions yet held in furthering the proposition of an inter- i state highway, and at the present meeting would be announced the fact that 167 congressman had already. signified their intention of voting for the Federal Aid bill for this highway
 which is to- be introduced in con gress.
 WASHINGTON, D. C., April 12-l Senator Mark Smith has introduced d
 bill in the senate granting 100000 acres of land in Arizona for the con
 struction and maintainence of roads, highways, and bridges, such land may | be leased or sold.
 As all good roads men admitted,
 the point after all is not any con | fict between this or that route, but constant progression of the good roads
 propaganda.
 This widely .germinating proposi- tion has no more two loyal sponsors
 
 ona, who is known in Arizona as the
 father of good roads," and who has dedicated 10 years of work to this interesting problem and l.. L.. Henry of Globe.
 From the tongue of MT. Potter sta ltistics fly as though read from book. At his fingers tips is ready
 resume of any definite piece of worK
 completed, in progress or in contem-
 plation.
 He had just returned from Kansas lCity, Mo, where he attended the eOld
 Trail' convention, when he arrived
 here for the meet'ng in which MT. Drum was entertained. His minute talk at the chamber of commerce was virile and iluminative and his inter-
 view by a Herald man was even more l so. He said:
 Forget the. conflict among routes. Let's get the route and let the people
 themselves decide which way they : want to come and what cities they desire to visit.
 5 The First Concerted Action. 3 ''The Ocean-to-Ocean highway com l mission has in progress now the first [ big tangible effort for federal aid, the t first proposition which will succintly l go into congress where abutting states g will ask for federal financial assist l. ance on the same highway. | Lawrence and Herrick, of Los An e geles, when they complete their triI g from Los Angeles to New York, vii s have routed national highway s through IA states. We will then have
 167 congressman, of whom we may ex l. pect aid. We are told by some wh( V profess to know that there will be nt , federal aid forthcoming this year. Wt f do not believe this. We have had rep !, resentatives at Washington wa:
 4 O prospects for government assistance
 lexcellent.
 The government has got to come V. to it. They are aiding maritime mod IL ernity with liberal hand. Viewing thu fact that this assistance accrues yer. ' largely to foreign benefit, since it i U , their ships and not ours who ply tn, 1' harbors, if not the rivers, it is logica ; to suppose that good roads, which bet l. ter commerce and relationship anon: S' cities, is a point that congress canno T help but take.
 J We will have then on the comple :! tion of Herrick's and Lawrence's tri u upwards of 4000 miles of roadwa U routed over IA states and with tn !. people and congressman of the state a joining hands for the assistance whic e we believe is due them.
 Tn Arizona there has been spent i - the past five years more than $1,OO0 U 900 to construct highways. We hay
 spent as much as $50,000 in perfectin
 as little as 37 miles of roadway. It
 not a passing fancy with us. Ever
 movement we have made mas bee
 substantial and enduring. We ar T. naturally a bit conceited about ou
 own Arizona route. We believe w r. can show more interesting things tha r. any other similar length route in th 'i United States, but this must not nc 10 cannot be construed in any way ths It we are antagonizing any other rout
 We are willing to go ahead and bull n- and let the tourist decide. to 'The roadway between Dem1ng an b. Phoenix is with the exception of fe 70 miles of roadway in fine shape. Tn d defect will be immediately remedie b. The Gila and San Carlos rivers al IT, to be spanned.
 ,. Tt is interesting work. It is endu
 ing work, and Arizona naturally fee
 bit proud of the progress, aga1n g. the many obstacles which 1t hs le made.
 i'd We claim scenery that will be; in the Grand Canyon; we have tt le Roosevelt dam to view which is tt ns engineering feat of the century, ar g. in addition to coast to coast tourl
 our route is the shortest"