The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-10-21

NNHNN ~" 49, 80
prcprlated for county bridges. for
which provision is made outside Of
road levles. while incidental road In
come like that from the 50 head tax.
Convict labor, etc. probably will mean
an additional tsso.0eo. so u seems
safe 10 ray that New Mexico. which
before statehood never spent a dollar
on road building, will spend one mill
lion. seven auRcrcd and nifty thou.
sand dollars or more on roads during
the omins year.
The expenditure Of This large sym
should mean a very important adj
vance In general road conditions In
the tate. II would seem. IN view OF
our resources, that this sum Is about
as much, in sound economy. as should
be spent In this early year Of our
career ne a road building state. Al
Ileast II is enough 10 show that we arc
moving, while we SPY out future road
building that seems necessary with
the greatest care.
The point made az the Santa Fc
meeting by W. G. Reid OF this c!ty
and which seems especially well WORT
considering at this time. is whether
Il IL right TO mortgage the future OF
our counties right now. through the
wholesome enthusiasm for good roads
which has spread over the state. un-
I'll we have determined definitely and
finally what roads are most necessary;
how they ran be built most pcrma-
nently aud accurately what costs will
be. Mr.. Reid. as we understand L.
Il not opposed TO good roads. lie IL
for them. But he Is against thousht-
less bonding o. the county govern
ments, and m%ortgagins their nnan
cial futures. for miscellaneous road
building.
Mr.. Reds thoughtful address ~
printed in the Herald today. because
It merits careful reading and careful
thought from every taxpayer
Mr.. Reid pointed out what we sl
know to be true. thai "a general coun-
" bond issue for general road on
struction in that county. is likely to
be spread over so great an area and
50 large a number Of projected ana
no doubt desirable roads. tina: the
money realized from the bond sale IL
dissipated without securing any one
complete and permanent construction
is OF enough Importance to jus-
tify the burden imposed on properts
In other words. u Il can
shown thai a given road, from ol,
point TO another given point, In
a county or from one county to an
other, will serve "a useful purpose in
accommodating travel and cncouias-
trade. and if an accurate estimate
can he had OF the rms OF permanent
construction OF such a road. without
undue maintenance charges, then II =
sound finance to bond a COUNTY to
that road provided tho bond ir-
ma covers that item OF construction
hut TO issue fifty or a hun
thousand dollars worth Of coun-
ty road bonds. without "a definite OBJ
In permanent construction iu
view, Is bad county finance. Il is
very likely to mean a squandcriug of
public money without amy result cx-
a perpetual added burden on tho
taxpayers.
Taos county would bc Justified in
bonding itself to build a first class
highway from lts main
shipping point to us count,
Mora county would be Justified
In bonding Itself for a nrst-class high.
way To Las Vegas and another TO
Wagon Mound.
40 one objects to good roads cone
strustion; the Herald least OF nll. wc
believe, can bee charged with uppul,-
lion 20 any intelligent road constitute
son program But ~thoughuc-s ,s,u-
ing of county bonds is danscrpuf ua
any account and In road construction
the counties Of this state can afford
10 move with the srcatcst care
An example in point IL the use Zoo
be- made of this county's share OF the,
highway bond i-sIc. approx
$4,000 II il can be- uongsr-
rated In assisting the University boui-
svard, snd in finishing un~oump.c'rd
main highway or iu permanent cone
.struotion in Tijorn- canyon. this .ouu-
IS viii have had more than value 90,
ceiyed for the tax burden Imposed
by the half million dollar state bond
Unless there is such ron,o1-
u the money goes OUT piece
meal to this precinct and that - re-
pair and other minor needs ma sscm
10 demand, the county- share viii be-
frittered away IN Temporary work and
here Will be a TAX burden w4tuDuf d !