The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-16

~ So ~ NA"h HAA
years or 20 New Mexico has
been put ~squarcIy up 10 the
same Oh problem Of moist roads.
melting SHOWS 60 make them more
moist and 8 traffic constantly IN
creasihs Ia weight per unit and vol
m % run them more ana more
deeply. This spring things are n
ilttie worse thar usual The winter.
wa wefter. the roads are softer. the
traffic has the normal annual in
crease and in addition already she
vanguard q the fIoinla OF automo-
hilcs bound FIR the Pacific exposition
are sravcfring the highways. A vast
" sreater trafhc is expected on this
account shis year thar has been evil
dent In any former year.
This traffic means money but II
win not come unless tbs roads arc
a. 10 bear Il. II the roads are left
az they are. the pathnnders who
come ahead Of the main bodies OF
tourists win report them bad (and
they will be bsd) ana New Mexico
will lsss this profitable ,rafnc be-
cause II win so some other way.
Many years efforts have failed TO
secure the right sort OF hard-surfaced
roads through the state aud a good
many more years mus, pass before
they are secured. Meanwhile, we
will have to put up with our sand
clay. clay and gravel roads as they
are. ~ is all very wen 10 talk about
thst bright lay when the state win
have q ten million dollar system OF
highways and all roads are laid In
cement. drained. bridged and fenced
with concrete. but building aircastles
brings no tourists The roads are
here. and the traffic is potentially
here. depending on the condition OF
the roads. aria me question rs. What
are we going to do about n?
Comes the answer from the local
highway boosters. headed By Col D..
X. b. sellers, who. despite what some
Of his detractors may say, terminates
a real idea often enough TO keep
them from getting lonesome in his
brain. He eve terminated a bet
ter one than that the highway adyo-
Gates hav adopted as a slogan and
an answer 10 the question which now
confronts the state. II H.:
Dras M roadsi
Bernaiiilo county has pledged IT.
self, through the chairman OF the
county road hoard, John s. Beaver,
10 drag the transcontlnental highway
from the sandoval county line to the
Valencia county line. Valencia
IS has promised 10 continue M work.
with smaller population and consid-
erably smaller resources. TO the So
zorro county line. That puts IL up
10 the other counties.
If the roZds are dragged now. in
the spring. when they are moist and
when most good can be accomplished.
maintenance work for the year will
practically have been completed.
They viii be In good shape n until
there are rains al the snd Of the
summer they win remain in fairly
good condition. But II they are al
lowed TO remain In their present con
diuon. putting badly under trafnc. as
reports from three adjacent highways
say they are. It will not be long until
they dry out, dragging will be impos-
sible and expensive worS must be
Zone 10 nil the ruts n whatever
chuckholos there are. Expensive
work. in his section Of the country,
means pnPerformed work. a good
share Of what the counties have spent
will hui have gone TO waste. tho
knockers viii be after the roads
boosters for talking much and stll
not assuring good highways and
roads viii be-wsil you know What
we'd like 10 eay, anyway even " the
word Ices not look wen IN print II
rhymes with we'll
Also. where Will the tourists be-
Echo sadly answers Elsewhere
aku.ttEraN HcToUV UTSpIAYID.