The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-09-16
Strong Letter to County Com
missioners and Road Boards
Asks COs0peratiOn With
Highway Commission.
POINTS TO PROGRESS
OF THE PAST YEAR
One of the Most Aggressive
Boosts for Forward Road
Policy Since Commission
Was Established.

-
In an appeal TO county road boards
ANA county commissioners and 10 the
people generally for cooper don in
good road work during the coming
year, state Engineer J. 4. French
has sent out To All county commits
sions in the twenty-six counties a
letter urging them 10 take advantage
of the law permitting a special 5-mill
levy TOT road work la their counties.
The letter Is one Of the strongest
boosts for aggressive road work since
the state commission was estab-
lishcd. II follows.
The Hon. Board OF County Commits
sioners.
sirs: Under Section 3, Chapter tt9,
Laws of 1903, and approved March
~, 1893. provision Is made Tor desig-
mated roads by the county commits
sioncrs of various counties and piJ-
Sidcs Tor the raising Of funds for the
construction thereof by "A special
levy. The part OF the section referred
to reads as follows;
Provided, further, that the cOun-
~ commissioner Of any county de-
string To cooperate with the said
territorial commission (now the state
highway cOmmissiun) Ia the building
of any public road may u "A spc-
cial levy OF Ave miils upon each dol
lar of taxable property, the proceeds
OF which may bc made available,
subject to expenditure under direc-
tion of said territorial commission
My object In addressing to you a
copy of this statute Is based upon the
following reasons which ! respect
fully submit 10 you for your consid-
GRAFTON and discussion, respectively
The area of the state OF New Mex
leo Is i22,00O square miles with a
population of $4,000. within the
boundaries of this state may be
placed the tates Of New York. Penn
~sylvania. New Jersey. Massachusetts
and Connecticut. These states with
an area OF $4,000 square miles con-
tain a population of $4,000, 900 in
habitants. Obviously our state with
such n small and scattered popula-
ton compared 10 such an area with
IN our boundary Is seriously handi-
capped In financing highways at a
great cost over such great distances
However, we are fortunately situated
In having within our boundaries
physical and natural conditions Cell
mate and road materially that high
priced and expensive highways that
are being constructed by the richer
states in the east are not necessary
owing 60 the fact that good road
building material 10 close at hand
and the traffic does not demand it.
The question of raising money tc
finance building, the proper design
location and construction. together
with the proper administration, dis
bursemcnt along economic lines, il
M OF very serious import to this
community both locally and state.
wide. With the demand for substan.
tial road Improvement through th'
states and a willingness 10 use theii
efforts in promoting this great work
that something along the plan tina
I am suggesting To you for financing
which meets many OF the local OBJ
jectlons, IL would not be many year
before the state would he traversabl'
hy splendid roads which would be 1
benefit 60 us an. All Of us are awar'
~ the almost impossible condition o
the roads AT this time and fer thi
reason I am addressing you with tn
suggestion for your help and assist
anoe 60 get out OF this condition a
that which means 40 much TO IN
welfare Of the state.
with his I am transmitting a mai
OF The state on a small scale showing
the main county and irtercounti
roads which IN turn become the pro
posed state system, connecting al
the county scat OF the counties ant
their general location along the NOR
p%opuloua communities 10 serve tn
most people. Also / am sending
county map on a larger scale show
ing In closer detail the a~pproximat
location as far as l have the bcs
advice az to this location. OF cours
Z this location as Indicated upon IN
county map Is opeE go discussion an
future study as 10 many changes, bu
the general direction of alignment
most cases h fairly established afte
) considerable study.
10 each board Of county commits
sioners In the submission OF thes
maps. my suggestion iH only a sug
4 gcsti0n aud IL Ia entirely In your di,
hn@ltihN 70 hhHntutN the a"IN1f ~
proposition IL submitted as state
above, Tor what I believe 10 be
solution OF our road building IN th
state and county. In this plan ther
must be or rather should be q Ger
, tain amount Of harmony and ga
operation with the ADJOINING count
or counties, not IA n financial senss
= hut In considering the FIRST roads 3
g begin on. 80 hat there shall he haT
= mony and system In the plan. 70
y this rcaH0n a. ] see h, ! am sug
eesting 10 each county board a cor
tain road or roads 10 first conside
FOR .he coming year, particularly a
I TO their FIRST importance and neccs
rity. A year or two later other road
should be considered. u h. only b
: conccrted co-opcraiion and persist
ence that a great result 81 this kin
5 may he obtained.
Inder the state laws authority
. 60