The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-02-16
SECRETARY OF AGR|CULTUR
 APPROVES THE PROPOSITION
Survey of Route Is To Begin Immediately and Highway Will Be Constructed Under Co-opera- tion Plan Between Board of Supervisors and Forest Department and Will Cost
 Approximately S4O0,O00.OO

The best bit of news received in Clifton in many a long day was fash ed over the wire from the office of Paul G. Reddington, District Pores ter, at Albuquerque, to the Board of Supervisors of Greenlee County on Tuesday of this week In his tele- gram MT. Reddington said:
 T am glad to announce that I am in receipt of information from Wash ington to the effect that the Hon. Secretary of Agriculture has formally approved the recommendation of the District Forester in regard to the ap- portionment of funds for the building of the Clifton-Springerville highway through the Apache National Forest.''
 Thus has been brought to a success, full conclusion the joint efforts of the Greenlee County Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Super visors in one of the most important undertakings ever attempted for the growth, prosperity and happiness of this district.
 The population of the entire district will be benefited directly and indirect ly by the building of this north and south translate highway and The Copper Era, on behalf of the people of Greenlee county, extends it's con- [ gratulations and gratgful appreciation to the Hon. Secretary of Agriculture, Senators Henry F. Ashurst and Mar GUS A. Smith, Representative Carl Hayden, Paul G.. Reddington, District Forester, and the Board of Supervis- ors and the Chamber Of Commerce, | for their able efforts in securing the 1 passage of the Forest Highway Ap- propriatiOn through Congress and the selection of the Clifton-Springer- vile road as one of the very first 1 highways to be constructed under the provisions of the act.
 It is roughly estimated that it will take three years to complete the con- struction after it is once started which will no doubt be sometime with in the next twelve months.
 Upon the final completion of the i highway to Springerville it will traverse a distance of approximately ninety miles and will provide means of transportation into section hither- to practically unknown, but which is rich in scenic beauty and natural re- sources. The building of the high way will open a ready market to the ranchers heretofore isolated by req son of lack of transportation; it will provide an easy and inexpensive means of reaching the beauty spot of Arizona for those in moderate circum, stances seeking relief from the eX- cessive heat of the summer in the lower valleys, and finally, will be the entering wedge in the development of the vast forest resources of the Apache National Forest containing within it's boundaries magnificent stands of timber of many varieties.
 Survey of the route is expected tC begin immediately. The cost will be between three and four hundred thousand dollars and under the plan proposed by the Board of Supervisors of Greenlee county, and approved by District Forester Reddington, the cost is to be borne equally by Green lee county and the Government Greenlee's proportion will be raised by a bond issue.
 For three years the Chamber oi
 Commerce and the Board of Super visors, with the hearty cooperation
 of the Forestry officials, have beer
 hammering away on the proposed
 highway from Clifton to Springerville
 In July 1915 delegation from Clifton travelled by auto to Springerville an6 St. Johns and enlisted the support ot the Board of Supervisors of Apache county in the project. On that tril the party travelled between four ana five hundred miles in order to reach
 Springerville. Upon the completion of the Apache Forest highway the trip can be made by auto in less than five hours over a distance oi ninety miles.
 At the beginning of the last session of Congress Secretary Houston, oi the Department of Agriculture, recom mended to Congress an advance ap
 propriation of ten million dollars foI the purpose of building highways within the national forests, the money to be returned to the Treasury out ot the sale of forest products. West ern Senators and Representatives lined up solidly behind the recon
 mendation and the bill was passed hv Congress. In the meantime the Board of Supervisors anticipated the passage of the bill and long before il had become law there was on file with the department of Agriculture a cooperative proposal from the Board of Supervisors of Greenlee county looking toward the construction ot lthe north and south road between Clifton and Springerville through the