Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-26
WANTS POLITICS
KICKED OUT Of
ROAD BUILDING
Chairman Seligman, of Santa
Fe County Road Board, Has
Some Rules He Would Like
to'See Enforced,

spsctAl cossssrososscs 70 nosriso Jousssl
Santa Re, Dec. 2J.--"Klck politics
out of road construction" Is one Of
the aphorisms In the biennial report
OF Chairman Arthur Seligman, OF the
santa Fe county road board. to State
Engineer James A. French.
Here are others:
Keep the water off the roads"
"a stitch in time saves nine in road
maintenance
Build scientifically and perma-
nently."
"All or none should pay the road
tax"
Teach safety first in the schools"
"Co-operation will do wonders"
Incorporation of state. county and
city. is more than desirable, II is nec-
essary."
KNOCK. but build"
bad roads. bad advertising; good
roads, good advertising.
bad roads. discomfort; good roads,
happiness"
bad roads. bad business; good
roads. good business"
Acquire information, then get
money and build"
construct good road and you
build sentiment for more"
TOO many roads are building as
father did, and are monuments Of
folly"
"Mud. sand and water-the three
don'ts.''
"The farmer. stock grower. bust
ness man. tourist. school children.
tax payer-everybody roads
that can be used at any time Of the
year."
Life and property demand good
highways"
Wishing and talk don't build
roads. but money and work do"
There are a number OF pointed sug-
gestions to the legislature in the re-
port. Chairman Sellgman says;
Suggestions TO Legislature.
"As already stated. the divided ju-
risdiction in bridge matters, between
the county road board and the county
commissioners is injurious to the
cause of good roads and the legisia-
ture should provide a remedy.
"rhe present road tax law, espe-
cially the method of its collection and
its enforcement. is bad. and the stat
ute should be completely rewritten.
The differences of opinion that have
arisen over its enforcement and the
different constructions put upon it by
attorneys have made. 1t almost impos-
sible TO enforce 1t equitably and thor
oughly.
The road law should compel coun-
tv road boards to submit an annual
budget and report and the board of
county commissioners should be un-
der compulsion to make the levy re-
quired by the budget unless upon
proper hearing the budget is declared
to be unreasonable or impractical, a
maximum being prescribed which
could not be exceeded.
1.-THE rules of the road and also
practical ideas about road construc-
tion and maintenance should be
taught in the public schools by means
of periodical but regular lectures that
would not interfere. with the regular
Curriculum but would impress upon
the children the safety first" prin-
clples, thus eliminating almost alto
gether road accidents that are the re-
suit of care1essness and non-observ-
ance OF the simplest rules of the road
and the street.
Would Ccntralize Read Work.
II am also convinced of the wisdom
of the Capitalization Of the good roads
work in the office Of the state engi-
neer: that no permanent work should
be undertaken or prosecuted without
his approval and supervision of plans
as well as Of construction. Thus only
will the state obtain a well correlated
and well constructed system OF good
roads. Any other method of road
construction is bound to be taxpayers
money wasted.
with the benefit of the experience
OF such great road building states as
California and New Jersey available,
and with the experience that has been
gathered in this state. not only for a
few years but for decades and centu-
ries, it should be possible to draft a
model road law applicable to the per
culiar local conditions existing In New
Mexico. Under the present system,
Dona Ana county perhaps, is the only
county that has obtained noteworthy
results under its own local manage
ment. On the other hand. counties
like Valencia and Santa Fe have DEM