The copper era and Morenci leader., 1916-09-29

Following the visit of Supervisor Dutton and County Engineer Redd to Albuquerque, during the first week of September, the first official act look ing to the cooperative construction of the Clifton-Springervi highway was taken on Wednesday evening of this week when the members of the Board of Supervisors, with State Engineer Cobb present and approving the propo sition, made application to the Secre- tary of Agriculture, through the office of the district forester at Albuquer- que, for a portion of the Forestry road fund available in Arizona during 1916-17.
 So far as known the Board of Super visors of Greenlee county has sub- mitted the most liberal cooperative plan in Arizona and it is the expec- tation that the entire fund available during the present fiscal year, amount ing to approximately $60,000 will be expended on the Clifton-Springerville highway.
 Only two other counties have made application for portion of this fund, Gila and Maricopa, but in no instance have these counties offered the financial cooperation that is pro- posed by the Board of Supervisors of Greenlee county,
 The proposition of the Greenlee County Board of Supervisors is now in the hands of the District Forester at Albuquerque, whose duty it is to recommend to the Secretary of Agri- culture the most feasible and advan- tageous road building projects in his district.
 The application presented to the District Forester sets out at length the importance of the proposed Clifton Highway. In the partment is called to the fact that Arizona lies between Clifton and Springerville; that on the southern boundary of this forest is one of the largest mining districts in the state affording a ready market for forest products, especially mining timbers; that the building of the Clifton Springerville Highway will form a connecting north and south link be- tween the two trans-state east and west highway systems, and in con- clusion the application pledges the taXravers of Greenlee county to bear one half of the cost of construction.
 Those present at the meeting of the Board on Wednesday evening, at which time the application was form ally approved included W. T. Witt, Chairman of the Board; s. F. Await, and w. W. Dutton, Members: Lamar Cobb. State Engineer; J. s. Barlow, Assistant State Engineer; A. L. Ter ry,CJerk. R. R. Webster, W. B. Kel- ly and W. s. Bradf1eld, representing the Greenlee County Chamber of Commerce. Those present felt con- fident that the Greenlee county appli cation offered inducements to the Forestry Department greater than those offered by any other county in the state and, taking all things into consideration, that the Clifton-Sprin- gerville highway would be one of the first projects undertaken by the For .estry Department in the state.
 Forestry Department officials from Albuquerque including Messrs. Pow ell and Reddington, are expected to reach Greenlee county shortly for the purpose of looking over the proposed I. routes between Clifton and Springer vile at which time they will be ac- companied by members of the Board of Supervisors and the County En- gineer.
  the Board of Supervisors to the Sec retary of Agriculture is as follows:
 Clifton, Ariz., Sept. 27, 1916. The Honorable Secretary of Agricul-
 ture, Washington, D. c.
 Sir:
 In compliance with regulation 3, Rules and Regulations, Secretary of Agriculture, under Section of the Federal Aid Road Act" approved July II, 1916, we submit the following proposal for cooperation with the United States ForesH Service in the construction of road in Greenlee county, Arizona, from Morenci via Metcalf, through the Apache National Forest to the northern boundary of Greenlee county.
 (a) This proposal is made by the Board of Supervisors of Greenlee County, Arizona, by and under whose authority all county funds raised by direct taxation or bond issue for the construction and maintenance of highways are expended. (See letter of Solicitor of the Department of Agri- culture addressed to the United States Forester, dated July IS, 1916.)
 (b) This proposed road will serve / to connect by the shortest and most feasible route Clifton to Springer ville) the two East and West state highways (See accompanying map of State Highway System of Arizona. ) It will provide the most direct means of communication between North eastern Arizona and all of Northern New Mexico, and Southern Arizona, where reside four-fifths of the popula- tion of the latter State, representing fO11T-fhc nf aCcnCCn6 va ation.
 Traversing a country heretofore re- tarded in growth by the absence of