Cheyenne record., 1916-12-21

The people of the state of Colorado
are vitally interested in the matter OF
bond issue for road construction for
the reason that they will furnish two
thirds of the credit which must under
lie the issue and probably mast pay
the same proportion of the debt incur
red 1t is therefore very important
that the bond issue he safeguarded by
every means possible, so that the mon
e. may really be spent to the benefit
OF the state.
To expend SO large sum of money
wisely requires, first. that the eXpen-
diture be in the hands of a centralized
responsible body directly charged with
the wise, economical prosecution of
the work. This body must be small in
order to centralize authority and re
sponsibility, but its members must in
clude among their talents those of the
best engineering skill, the best admin
istrative ability apd the best financial
talent, and these powers must be sub
ordinated to the direction of u man
who has the highest order of executive
ability. 1t is essentially u one.man
job.
The work must be prosecuted slowly
Rushing into u program of construc-
ton which does not fully recognize
and take account of the necessities of
traffic in each instance, which has not
been outlined for the best economical
rate of progress and which does not
make adequate provision for the fu-
ture and ut the same time discount the
mistakes of the past both in this and
other states would any of them be the
greatest folly. Colorado has the
greatest OF natural advantages in the
matter of road material and should
make the most of these in its develop
inent.
The bonds for this work should be
issued and should provide for u con-
struction program extending over sew
eral years, 70. the debt incurred will
he large enough ut the best and the
work cannot reasonably be prosecuted
so as to need fund OF l5 millions for
less than four years work at the short
est. BY issuing the bonds serially as
the funds are needed, the burden OF
debt and charges will be made the
lightest possible and thus justify the
undertaking. The bonds should have
a sufficient life to enable them to be
met by the increasing growth of the
state and not require them to become
a heavy charge before their benefits
begin to be felt.
The roads to be improved should be
such as will when completed f",ru u
well designed system of state :ic rays
and will be best calculated Ia lend
themselves to the encouragement OF
road Improvement in the future by
both the state and the counties. The
funds must he spent only for the forms
ard kinds of road construction in the
places where such work will be pe,ma-
nent and entail only reasonable main
tenance costs. And before dollar of
the funds is used for construction, the
question Of maintenance must be fully
solved, as the neglect to provide for
maintenance will make the whole i,ii-
provenent worse than useless.
The question as to whether Colorado
can with propriety enter into such an
undertaking is best answered by the
fact that other states, notably Califor-
mia, have found that such things pay,
as witness tire fact, that in that state
the total bond Indebtedness for high
way construction by the state alone is
now about 33 millions. In fact Color
ado can ob.ain so much more for its
money than can any other state. due
to the abundance of suitable material
and the natural advantage Of its dis
tribution, that the people Of the stntc
cannot we'll afford to deny themselves
the increased opportunity which Good
Roads always bring.