Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-05-08

no less than nfit VOL considered hills
have been introduced by members
from nfi uDrtiunF ~ our country This
country ~ facing ore ~ the rrcntael
crises in ~ HISTORY md additional
transportation facilities undoubtedly
viii Oeneni every lnhnhitenf. aud re-
suit IN further development and In
creased uroducilVencsa ~ our natural
resources. thus tontrlDutlnR "a an H..
crease Of the food supply aud
cheaper price for the necessities %
life. II u no longer an oDen Quoa-
ton ns 70 the power of the general
government 10 make appropriations
and Ctherwise nid IN The development
o. the country by the construction
and maintenance Of good roads
throughout the union. II IN safe 20
predict that such q policy win be IN
augursted a. very early dnto. GER
tnlniy no farther distant than the
completion Of the Panama canal.
Some comprehensive plan. devoid ~
oil poaalhic political complications.
providing for the expenditure OF hun.
drcus of millions OF dollars In the con
atructlon and maintenance ~ y sat-
isfactorf system 81 federel IN state
hiehways. may be looked for IN OIL
probability IN an act 81 Che ensuing
regular session OF congress. Slcn 4 u
rectly with tho people, who are art
10 need Il. the otherwise unemployed,
WILL result In the United States sccur-
Ing the best and most comprehensive
system OF highways IN he world. In
creaslng our natural wealth an hum
dred fold over the initial Investment.
The people Of this state have Known
for n long period that our highway
administration II inefficient and that
our road laws need Rewriting. indeed.
" ! am any judge OF the demands OF
the public. legislation 81 this charnr-
ter IL quite as Imperative as the de-
mand for reform IN our system OF tax
alton. An inspection or our Eo-called
road and bridge laws reveals at every
stage. the hand Of some legislator or
group Of law makers having In view
q personal motive or a local situation.
IL 10 evident that the time has come
when more attention must be paid TO
a centralized administration. coupled
with harmonious cooperation with
county and municipal authorities. In
order 10 best accomplish the cOnstruc-
ton OF q system OF state and county
highways. TO know whnt ha8 been
done and what Is now being done else
where as to highway construction, il
to know what " best FOR future work
of this kind In New Mexico.
AZ a matter OF administration OF
public affairs OF any sort Il ~ not tho
legitimate compensation OF Oniccra
under any system OF government,
however high their salaries may be,
that makes a system bHrdens0me or
odious 90 the people: but II Is the
robbery. the political fnvoritism the
contemplate nepotism practlced I'M
der color ~ the law which Is respon-
sible for a state Of the public mind
.Nhfph In lis uraaan4 dnnanuN fnV ha,
Initiative referendum and recall has
been willing TO overthrow the cardinal
principles Of the government OF the
fathers In order To remedy existing
evils.
In my Judgment, the best way for
tho remedying OF present contentious
ana evils In this state " that. work
Ing together for the good OF the peo-
pie and not Ia further political adj
vantage. the boards OF county COM
missioners and county road boards
should employ an engineer who should
be placed in entire charge OF county
road work, who. In turn should be
guided by the state highway commits
sion regarding standard specifications.
plans and methods OF construction.
In view Of the vast sums OF money
expended Annually on our roads.
bridges ana culvcrts. even In New
mexico, the necessity Tor using these
funds 20 the best possible advantage.
ny having trained engineer. Is app
pnrent To accomplish this. some :
counties lying adjacent might employ
the same engineer, provided robbery
johbery and political and personal
ncpotlsm ana "pull'' are eliminated IA
factors Ia the equation. By the em-
plcymcnt ~ such q trained expert the
dirert saving to the tax payers. in
ono yenr. would be iifty per cent
Some conception of the waste of
the public money in the United
states in road maintenance may be
gathered from the statistics which
show that out OF 2.l5l.O miles Of
public road IN use In 1904, In the
United States, only IA per cent was
improved and those improvements
cost the tidy sum of s19000. zoe.