Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-01-27
COUNTY MAY TRADE
MULE TEAMS FOR
ISLETA ROAD
State and County Officials and
Members Of albuquerque
Local Agree 10 tentative
Deal at Conference,

DNNl al OOlllOl ClIOOt
Bcrnalillo county win trade nine
mule teams and wagons and $4,000
debt to the state for "a frst-class roa
from Albuquerque to Gsleta, accord
ing TO a tentative agreement reached
4 by Governor w. G. Mcdonald ana
John 5. Beaver, chairman of the road
board This pact, however will not
he effective until the state highway
commission and the county road
board ratify it. Mir Boaycn stated
last night he would can meeting Of
the board today for this purpose,
Governor Mcdonald state En-
glneer j. a. French and state Land
Commissioner h, F. Eryien, all ac-
companel by their wives, motorod
here yesterday afternoon TO confer
with members of the Albuquerque
Good Roads local ana Mr.. Beaver IN
regard to the states extending Ber-
lualillo county aid for road construc-
ton
The conference was held last night
in one Of the pariors at the Alvarado
hotel. The governor and MI French
sat at one end Of the room and tho
Albuquerque road builders at the
other, and they bombardol each other
with propositions for nearly an hour
before the quasi agreement was
reached
Mr.. French thought the improve
mont Of the AlbuquerQue-lsleta road
would take about $4,000 Mr. Bea-
ven said he would do the work for
$S,0O0-from the state. He believed
the county and private subscribers
would make up the rest.
Governor Mcdonald then suggested
that the county lend the state the
mule teams for four months, to be
worked under the supervision Of tho
state engineer upon this road This
was not met with warm appreciation
however
The governor then asked Mr. Bea-
ven how much he wanted for the
mule teams The road board chair
mans figure was $1,000, but the ex-
ecutive deemed the price high liz
knew what wagons, secondhand har-
ness and Missouri mules at
that, according TO the local boosters
were worth. He thought con-
sevatiye figure would be $1,000.
Mr. Beaven was unwilling TO con-
cede that the miles were worth less
than $1,000 at that time The gov
ernor minated that ne probably
would be willing TO sell them for less
than $4,000 later, if what Mr. Beaven
had told him Of the boards financial
condition was true.
The governors next proposition
was that the state would build the
road if the county would sell state
highway bonds. His auditors, how
ever, were chary Of undertaking this
task.
The governor then, pacing the
floor, shot the final offer-that the
state would take the teams, wagons
and harness. pay the amount the
county road board owed for them,
providing ii does not exceed $4,000.
and construct the road The state
viii guarantee a passable road with
in eleven months and a first-rate road
within two years, he said After a
discussion, held In another room, Mr.
Beaver said he would state this prop
osition 20 the county road board.
Governor Mcdonald said he had
not discussed this offer with his col
leagues, members Of the state high
way commission, aud that he made it
with the understanding that they
were to pass upon 1t before it was TO
be considered official
MT Beaver said. after the meeting.
that tho ro1d board owed debts app
proXlmating $1,000, including about
$4,000 still unpaid for the mule teams.
The assumption of this part of the
debt by the state will leave the board
with only $4,000 outstanding and
soon it will receive $4,000 taxes from
the county. the greater part of which
thanks To the transaction with the
state highway commissions If tt goes
through-it will be able to expend on
other roads.
According TO the light in which the
members of the albuquerque local
present last night viewed the deal,
Bernalilo county will get an Albu-
querque-Isleta road. ana about SO. 900
for the other road work for nine
mule teams saddled with q $4,000
debt