Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1913-04-02
GOOD ROADS DAY
IS NOW DAWNlNG
Attorney Norris Gives Interesting Ac-
count of Federal Highways Conven-
ton He Recently Attended.


several government engineers to do
the work indicated, and also super
intend construction, in proper cases.
The services and expenses of the
engineers are paid by the govern
ment. In addition to that, we
secured guaranty of $4,000 to be
put with $4,000 to be furnished by
Apache and Navajo Counties on the
construction of the post road be-
tween Springerville and Holbrook,
under the supervision of an engineer
to be furnished and paid by the
government. In order to obtain this
we were directed to ask Governor
Hunt to forward request to the
Postmaster General for the $4,000,
and l am most pleased that the
Governor is gathering the data upon
which to base this request
These small accomplishments in
the way of conclusive steps mean
a great deal to those who are
really interested. The important
feature is the virility of interest Con-
gress is now showing in the subject;
in fact, it is apparent that the road
sentiment in every State in the I'm
ion is so definite and so strong that
the doors of Congress can not long
er stand closed against it.
To illustrate how directly Ariz-
ona is in line with this sentiment,
1 refer to House Joint Resolution
No. 7, introduced at the present
session of the legislature by Repre-
sentative Gonzales, of Apache
county, which after the preamble,
reads:
"Be it resolved by the Senate
and the House OF Representatives
of the first State Legislature of the
State OF Arizona:
That we urge upon the Congress
OF the United States the necessity
of the early designation, construct
ion and maintenance of system
of National Highways, and
Be it further Resolved, that the
Secretary OF State OF Arizona is
hereby instructed to forthwith tran
nit capies OF these preambles and
resolutions to all the members OF
the United States Senate and House
of Representatives from this State,
and the clerks of these respective
bodies at Washington, D. C."
This resolution, so far as l know,
is entirely independent OF the act
ion taken by the convention at
Washington, but it in marked har-
mony with it.
Where the subject is we'll consid-
cred in all the States, including
Arizona, as evidenced by the Con
zales resolution, they are coming to
one proposition of urging Congress
for a national system of highways
connecting the capitals of the
States. In all cases, the conclusion
is generally reached favoring main
or backbone roads. 1t can readily
be seen how practical it is for a
State system of good roads to con-
meet up with such a national sys-
tenn; then, in turn, for the counties
to connect with the State and Nat
ional systems, as the distributing
mediums of these national highways
In the past, it has often been
argued, though with warning energy
that the rural and district roads
should be built first
Upon this subject, Mr.. c. s. Stet-
son, Chairman of the National
Grange, addressed the convention
In his address. he very ably argued
for main roads first He said:
eve do not believe that Federal
AID means the appropriation OF Nat
ional funds for local improvements
of roads. 1t is certainly wrong to
ask National aid to do what prop
erly belongs to the local community
to perform, and in any good road:
movement the State is the unit to
which the municipality should look
for aid, and the State in turn tc
cooperate with the National Gov.
eminent for interstate roads and
other roads that are of sufficient i'm.
portance TO warrant the employment
I of National aid in building. Any
other course is untenable, unconsti-
tutional, and basically wrong. But
we do ask of the men who are try
ing, and conscientiously trying, tc
build interstate and transcontinen.
tai highways to remember the ne.
cessity of improving the road from