Arizona republican., 1914-06-06
FIVE MILLIONS FUR HIGHWAYS
Object of the Constitutional Amendment Which Will Be Submitted to People at the General Election ill November


 highway system has been prepared for submission to the people of Ari- zona at the general election, Nov. >
 The principal features of this amendment are:
 The designation and provision for the construction of a system of state highways One across the north l from the Needles through Spring erville; one across the south from Yuma to Phoenix, thence by two routes, via Globe through Clifton and via Tucson through Douglas: and one north and south from the Grand Canyon to Nogales. A system of l highways connecting ever county seat end nearly all the largest towns in the state.
 A bond issue of s5.OO0 OOO bearing interest not to exceed 51o per annum and to be retired between 1930 and l 1850. Said bonds to be issued and sold by the loan commissioners Of the state (the governor treasurer and auditor) at such times and in such amount that the board of control I ethe governor. auditor and citizen member) decide is necessary to carry on the construction work
 1 This fund is to be expended by 1 the state board of control and the state engineer and under the direc- ton of the latter. Disbursements are to be made on claims approved by the state engineer and audited by l the state auditor
 , At least 15 per cent of the amount that each county contributes to this fund must be expended in those counties that have the largest or most difficult mileage to construct ] with a approximately small fund per mile
 As it is possible that some coun- | ties may have more than sufficient l to construct the highways enumer- | ated in the amendment it has been provided that the unexpended credit or balance may be expended on such other state highways as selected by l the respective boards of supervisors and the state engineer.
 | The creation of a state highway advisory board of five members who will serve without salary As it's name would imply it will be the duty | of this board to advise the state en- 2ineer as to all questions pertaining to the expenditure of the fund in the l construction of the state highway l system and to make frequent inspec- 1 tiOn of the work It will also be ltheir duty to keep a check on all ex- penditures by examination of the ac- counts in the office of the state en- gineer and to give publicity to theil findings both as to the construction work and expenditures by reports tc the governor.
 The system of highways designated in this amendment comprises abou 1900 miles and the bond issue O. s5000000 will therefore provide al average of about $32O0 per mile Tn, actual cost of construction per mil, Of road will vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depen dent upon the topography of tn, country. availability of road materia and the traffic to be accommodated The fund is sufficient for such con struction of this system of highway as will be commensurate with tn :rafic and development of the stat fer some years to come.
 The greater portion of this fund Irobaoly from 60 to 90 per cent, vii go into the most permanent con stFuction, grading, draining, culvert end bridges, which, with ordinar maintenance, will far outlast the If of the bonds. The balance will 9 into surfacing. principally with loca material, as caliche, gravel, decom i rosed granite, etc, and where tn traffic is too heavy for such materis a mole expensive road surfacing wi have to be adopted such as sla, I :nacadam, bituminous concrete ( ccment concrete More careful Stu.l Will have to be given to this subiet
 ol proper suriacing than to any otf
 CT in connection with the construt
 tion of these highways. therefore
 is of the greatest importance in tt
 event this amendment carries. tn;
 the highway advisory board consi
 largely of men whose training an
 experience will enable them to ali
 by their advice, the state engine,
 in properly solving the road surfacir
 and other kindred problems. It
 necessary that they be of such stant
 ing in the state as to insure conf
 cence among the people that tn
 fund is being honestly and efficient
 expended for the purpose it was i,
 tended They will have all the al
 thority necessary to do this: al
 thority to inspect the work, to e.
 anime the accounts and to maj
 public their findings. Publicity is t
 best and only necessary safeguard
 put around the expenditure of publ
 funds. It protects both the publ
 and the honest official.
 The chief advantages to be deriv
 by the sale of bonds for the co
 struction of these roads are:
 First. the people can realize in
 few years the benefits of we
 constructed system of state highwa
 that it will take more than twen
 years to complete with our prese
 state road appropriations;
 Second, the cost of construction
 the proposed highways will be co