The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1914-12-18
ALL COUNTY ROAD
CONSTRUCTION IS
IN ABEYANCE

Supervisors Are Awaiting Opinion OF
State Attorney General Before Re-
suming Road Work-Road Vouch.
ers Not Now Negotiable Amount to
About $4,000, and>~WiII Not Be
Paid by County Before December 1
1e15-Horton Says That Bonds
Cannot Be Issued For Road Pur
poses-Cotey Case Comes for
Trial and Court is Kept Busy With
Other Cases.
All road work of Green1ee county
is still in allegiance, operations having
ceased by command of the supervis-
ors on the morning of Saturday, Dec.
II, because of the supervisors being
in doubt as to the legality of issuing
vouchers against an exhausted road
fund, and upon receipt of the opinion
of the state attorney general as to
the legality of such action, provided
the opinion is that it is legal, work
upon the county roads will immediate
ly resume
This ceasing of road construction,
added to the fact that vouchers i'm
mediately upon the ceasing of road
work became not commercially negoti-
able, has been the theme of interest
ed conversation all this week, as at
the time of ceasing a total of probably
six hundred men were engaged in
road construction, the men thereby
losing employment, and in addition
losing, a number of them, varying
amounts of pay represented by
vouchers which they could not cash.
Likewise a number of merchants
were holding vouchers at the time
the banks announced that they would
no longer cash the documents The !
estimate is made that total of $780,
900 is represented by vouchers which |
cannot at this time De cashed A |
considerable portion of this amount
is held by the banks, these institu-
tions having cashed many vouchers
before the supervisors became in |
doubt as to the legality of issuance I
The>opinion of County Attorney !
Horton is that every voucher issued
by the supervisors will be paid by /
the county, he interpreting the state
law on the question as meaning that
the supervisors have the right to
issue vouchers in payment of road
construction, even though the road
fund at the time is entirely exhaust
ed. However, the vouchers cannot
be cashed before December L, 1915, l.
because of the fact that not before
that time will the tax payments of L
the year 1915 be made.
The situation as affecting these
vouchers viii be interesting indeed
should the attorney general decide II
that their issuance was not legal.
The opinion is expressed that in
case of such a decision the holders
'f the vouchers would probably be
Arotected by special act of the legis.
ature regarding the matter
The county road fund is entirely
exhausted, in fact it's condition is
minus, the estimate being that the .
hree incoming supervisors will find .
he fund facing a deficit of at least :,
10000 90, this amount being repre- =
ented by the vouchers issued against
depleted treasury, and by payments -
considerable amounts owing to ;,
contractors Vandercook & Black, and :.
D Contractor o. J. Cotey, in case ~
ne latter wins his present suit =,
gainst the county. The fund will -
e replenished between January 1, -
BIS, and the first of the December -
blowing, only by the payment of =.
ersonal road taxes on the part of
lie citizens. This income for this ~
ear amounted to about $4,000, and -
expected to bring next year about -
1000, great number of citizens
aving left the county since the
'esent depression began.
Attorney Horton is of the opinion III
at the issuance by the county of ou
'nds for the purpose of gaining III
oney to be used upon road con- TAI
ruction is not legal. This opinion De
correct, means that the compile eo
IN of the Morenci canyon highway @z-
III not be before at least year has GU
ssed, granting of course that the chi
torney general holds that the is
ance by the supervisors of vouch- SUI
) against depleted road fund Ly
illegal, as the issuance of vouchers, Wh
bonds, are the only methods for COZ
2 roads completion being open to tlrr
; supervisors, the general road act
Id being in minus condition. The ory
npletion of the Morenci canyon rua
ID is a matter of the greatest con- zu1
n to many of the county's inhabi-