The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-03-02
THE MARICOPA COUNTY HOG.

 proportion of the Forest Highway Fund, on highway through the Apache National For est, connecting Clifton and Springerville, the Arizona Gazette exemplifes, in true Marlco- pa style, the narrow selhshness of that loca- ty Listen to the following tale of woe:
 Announcement has been made that the Secretary of Agriculture has approved the Cliff ton-Springerville highway and that survey of the proposed road is to begin soon. The highway Is to unite the two towns mentioned, and will cost approximately $4oo,ooo.
 "The reasoning applied to the construc- ton of this road cannot be based upon the rule that 1t IS to serve the greatest utility to the greatest number, and those of us who under stand the tremendous need of road work in this part of the state where good roads really mean population are at loss to ac- count for the decision.
 'The highway to the Tonto dam, for in stance, was built by the government, aided by Maricopa county, whose patriotic citizens raised $65 ,ooo for the purpose. This IS of the scenic highways of the world unequaled by anything in the great national parks, and 1t carries the tourist from all parts of the world.
 ''The department would do well to give this highway some consideration and mend its torn ways instead of concentrating funds and energy in a remote section of the state.
 That Maricopa county wants everything in sight has been familiar saying in Arizona for To, these many years, and the truth of the indictment was never more clearly proven than in the present instance when the Gazette sorely laments the fact that some other DOT tion of the state is to receive some benefits through Federal Aid.
 It matters not to the Gazette that Mari copa county has been the recipient of more Federal Aid in the past than all the other counties of Arizona 1t matters not that Mari copa county has been the recipient of the benefits of more state appropriations than any other county in the state; it. matters not that the state capitol, the State Fair, the State Normal are located within its boundaries; it matters not. that the great Roosevelt dam was constructed, through Federal Aid, for the special benefit of Maricopa county; 1t matters not that the Roosevelt-Phoenix Highway was constructed almost entirely at Federal ex- pense Maricopa county expects everything as matter of divine right and in the past has not been disappointed. It is perfectly natural for the Gazette to feel offended at the action of the Hon. Secretary of Agriculture in daring to expend the appropriation for Forest High ways in some other portion of the state.
 In its plaintive wall the Gazette loses sight entirely of the objects and purposes of the Forestry Highway appropriation. The prime object of the cooperative plan propos- ed to Congress by the Secretary of Agrlcul- ture was to build highways into and through those forests which would serve to develop 4ba;- T offo o-6 of traD portation to a ready market. The purpose of the Forest Highway plan was not to build state highways on the open praries or through mesquite thickets.
 The Secretary of Agriculture wisely de cided that nowhere in Arizona would the returns be greater for the money expended than a connecting highway between the virgin timber on the Apache Reserve and the big copper camps on the south where average of 2o,ooo,ooo feet of mining timbers are used annually.
 In addition the Gazette should not lose sight of the fact that for every dollar of Fed eral money expended in Greenlee county on this highway the taxpayers of Greenee count. will expend like amount. The propsoal from Greenlee county to liberally cooper ate in this manner was by far the best proposl- ton laid before the Hon. Secretary of Agrcul- trre, not excepting the pitiful offering made by Maricopa county in order to induce the Government to take over the Roosevelt-Phoe- nix Highway.
 The Gazette is crying over spilled milk J4l,a reo1;1o+iOo hat other nOrtiOnc Of the