Bisbee daily review., 1914-01-28
STATE WIDE AID IS
 ASKED ID SECURE
 SAN CARLOS BRIDGE
Cila and Graham County Au-
 thorities Say Opposition to
 Improvements Unwarranted

Cooperation of the people of all residents of Gila and Graham co. in their efforts to assure the early q instruction by the government Of tridges across the fla and the San Carlos rivers on the San Carlos In. dian reservation. This appear for as sistance has been made by the two counties most directly affected be- improvement and the widespread dis tribution of misleading literature re- garding it by persons who. through error, have been led to believe that the building Of the bridges would be an obstruction to the proposed San Carlos dam project.
 Congress recently appropriated s65.00O from the tribal funds of the San Carlos and White Mountain reser vations for the construction of these bridges at sites then believed to be above the high water line of the pro posed reservoir. Since that time the tentative plans for the dam poie have been changed somewhat and it is discovered that one Of the bridges would be submerged at times il the reservoir were to be erected.
 But the pricipal objection to placing the bridges at the sites proposed by congress is that they should be un dry land for the next ten years. which Is the minimum possible time .g f.t.t as placed by the government engin- eers, and would be so situated that from thirteen to twenty-five miles of difficult and expensive road building, for which no appropriation has been made, would be necessary 10 connect them with the main highway.
 The San Carlos Indians. who must pay fer the bridges are SO bitterly opposed to the upper sites that they have enlisted the assistance of the Indian Rights Society and declare that they will not submit to being assessed for structures which would be of absolutely no use to them. The . White Mountain Indians have maee similar objecth-n because they will have no use from the bridges wher- ever they may be located. The Sln , Carlos Indians, on the other hand. have offered to pay the whole amount needed for two bridges as sites near l San Carlos and inside the proposed reservoir site even though they can
 use them for only ten years. Bridges at these sites would cost only $54. .0C0 and the bridges for which 5.D00 was appropriated by congress are now
 indefinitely held up because no con - tracbr will undertake to build on } those sites for that amount oi money.
 Stories have bsen circulated throughout the state to the effect l. that the pioposal to ask congress to
 change the sites of the bridges, and
 incid entally, tc reduce its appropri. ation from S65,OO0 to j4,O00. will l mean an interminatle delay before
 construction Is begun. The truth of
 the matter is that in this proceeding lies the only hope that the bridges Q iwll be built al once. As the situa-
 ton exists at the present time there Is no hope that the bridges will bo built at the opper sites. With the . ready suppcrt of the San Carlos In
 dians and their offer to stand the en- tire expense of bridges at the lower | sites no difficulty is expected in in. |, ducing congress to amend its previ.
 ous action. provided the national law makers are not misled by mlsrepre' a sentation.
 :, 1t is in this connection that the aid If the people of the state is asked s The people of Gila and Graham coun I ties hope that friends of good roads
 in every part Of Arizona will take ' enough interest in this matter to l. write personal letters to the Arizona
 delegation in congress asking for
 their support to the new bridge plan r The bridging rivers is not a matter ( of local importance--it is a matter oi a statewide interest. Without the
 bridges one of the great highways across the state is gainer to the ex
 tent of one more gcod road is com
 pleted. And the importance or good
 roads. wherever they may be in the r. state, Is not questioned.