Imperial Valley press., 1912-01-29
pAYlNG FOR A STATE HIGHWAY

DAYING FOR A STATE HIGHWAY
l Thus far the discussion Of the
projected state highway has related
mainly to the route to be chosen.
Nothing has been said about the local
burden or maintenance. Under the
law providing for the state highway,
each county will be required individu-
ally to bear the burden of interest on
the amount invested in the road in
that county, and further than that, it
will be required to maintain the road.
In view of this fact, the attitude
of some of the cities and counties is
peculiar if not preSumptuOus. Should
the Banning route be chosen, the bur
den that wo Id fall on Riverside
county would be enormous, as the
road would run for about 50 miles
through the worst possible deserts in
that county, where the Southern Pa
cific finds the most expensive MAIN
tenance on it's system, and such route
would compel Riverside county to pay
interest on nearly a million dollars
invested.
Yet that road would not carry
dollars worth OF benefit to any part
of the county which is bearing inn
portant taxes, nor would it touch a
town in the county off the desert.
The investment in San BernardinO
and Los Angeles counties for the
state highway would amount to moth
ing. for they already have good roads.
Yet those counties, which would have
none OF the interest and none of the
expense to meet assume
to dictate where the road shall be
built.
The people of Imperial county, If
the northern route is chosen, will have
double the interest and maintenance
they will have if the southern route
is selected, and no citizen of the
valley would ever use the northern
route with horse and team in getting
out for a summer vacation.
The selfish attitude Of Los Ange-
les in undertaking to force a heavy
burden OF tax ON Riverside and I'M
perial counties for her benefit when
she will have no share in the expense
is anything but creditable.
The Press believes the time is near
when the projected northern road
should be built, but it cannot see a
way TO build it under present cOndi-
lions with any element of justice. 1t
might be possible to secure a special
act to permit several counties to join
in building a road the burden to be
borne by the interested counties IN
proportion to assessed values, which
would put Los Angeles in a way to
help pay for the road on the north
ern route. But it is hardly conceiv-
able that the Riverside supervisors
will be idiotic enough to undertake to
pay the interest on million dollars
or so and maintain the most eXpen-
siye road in the state mainly as
peace offering to Los Angeles.
Al the highway conference III Los
Angeles, a prominent citizen of that
city called attention to the fact that
while they were talking San Diego was
building a road, and he might have
added that Imperial valley was also
building to meet San Diego.
Thus far Los Angeles has done
nothing but talk. 1t has not made
the slightest move to finance good
roads, and there is no hint that it
will do so. When the metropolis gets
ready to bear it's portion of the bur
den, Imperial county, and undoubtedly
Riverside county, will be found ready
to cooperate with it in building on
The northern route, and thus consum-
mating the Grand Circuit of 500 miles
OF belt-liue highway.
In quoting the following editorial
from the San Diego Tribune, the Press